Minecraft: Ocelot Mode
by Gamerwhogames
Summary: Would you rather sit around like a sack of potatoes and hope your best friend wasn't dead, or look for him, risking the lives of three over that of one? Would you rather wait for a purple, scaly death to knock at your door, or run out, practically daring it to find your life and steal it? When asked these questions, Aiden, Maya and Gill did the unthinkable, and how it cost them...
1. Banter

**Author's Note:**

 **Thanks for bearing with me, everyone! Before we get started, I'd like to thank you for the success that I've had with the previous installment of MC:OM. 7 followers, 7 favorites and 9 great reviews and 2,000 views! Thanks for it all, friends! And I dearly hope that this new version is more successful than the first (which was shut down because of lack of plot and bad characters).**

 **But now, I'd like to give you this story! It's new and improved, and comes with a SUBMODERN AU! I give you Minecraft: Ocelot Mode. Without further adieu, hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

The stars hung in the dark sky, fighting for attention over the lit streets of Endercon. Strolling these roads were the Ocelots, high and excited with their tenth victory in a row. Their winning build, the rainbow-beacon, shone into the sky as a proud reminder of their win that night.

"I knew that rainbow-beacon was a great idea, Lukas!" Gill told the blonde as he and his fellow Ocelots walked the streets, virtually ignoring the anticipating cheers and excited waves.

"Yeah! We screwed those losers over!" Maya added, getting scornful laughter from Aiden and Gill while Lukas tried to ignore their prideful jeers, walking and musing.

"You've been shut up." Aiden said, being the first to say anything to the drawn-back blonde, though Lukas had been quiet since their win earlier that day. Lukas stifled a scoff, his hands forming fists in his pockets.

"It's nothing. Just… don't feel like talking." He replied stiffly, his tone slightly spiteful.

"Alright, then." Aiden replied with a careless shrug. Maya rushed to their side, grinning giddily.

"Did you see the look on Jesse's face when the judges announced that we won?" Maya asked, Gill responding with a haughty, barking laugh. Aiden smirked, the three of them not noticing Lukas's annoyed cringe.

"Yeah. As if he thought he had a chance. Typical loser-behavior. Hopeful and optimistic in the face of… everything." He mocked.

"Except pork-chops." Gill added as-a-matter-of-factly. The other two laughed, ignoring Lukas's indifferent glares towards their bitter taste of humor.

"What a weirdo. It's bad enough that you take that dumb 'ol pig just about everywhere, and it's another thing to not eat pork because of said pig, but it seems he's forcing his strange love of pigs onto his friends, too." Aiden said.

"I heard that none of them eat pork, but I do have my doubts about the big guy." Maya joked. "What do you think, Lukas?" She asked, making Lukas scoff angrily when she popped his tolerance-bubble.

"You know? It's been a long day. I'm gonna catch some fresh air, if you don't mind." He snapped before turning away and rushing off, leaving behind three stunned Ocelots.

"What's his deal?" Gill asked. "Was it something I said?" He added thoughtfully, stroking his beard.

"Nah, that's Lukas for yah. He just can't take a joke." Aiden replied, glaring at the back of Lukas's Ocelot jacket as the blonde disappeared into the crowd.

"Joykill." Maya muttered.

"I dare you to say that to his face." Aiden joked meanly.

"Don't. No one has time for unexpected rainshowers of flooding." Gill politely informed them before laughing at his own joke along with the others.

As the hours passed, the fiery torches dimmed, giving way to the moonlight. They strolled together awhile, walking aimlessly as a clique.

"Hey, Aiden, do you think we should eat something? I'm kind of hungry." Gill asked after a while, smiling hopefully.

"You're hungry. I'm not." Aiden spat rudely.

"Well, Gill. I guess it's just you and me, then." Maya suddenly blurted, eagerness and anticipation to obvious in her voice. Aiden guffawed while Gill slowly gazed away. Maya felt awkward. When Aiden looked back at them, Maya and Gill were blushing.

"I… guess so." Gill finally said, trying to lift the awkward silence off of them.

"Yeah…." Maya added while Aiden grinned smugly, a mischievous glimmer in his green eyes.

"Alright, then. Stay out of each other's pants, you two." He advised, enjoying the shock that instantly befell the two, making them blush even more.

"Really, Aiden?" Maya scolded with a humorless tone and glowering eyes. Gill silently glared, aggression and spite on his reddened face.

"What? It's just a joke, you two. Sheesh…." Aiden reminded them, shrinking back at their harsh glares. Gill rolled his eyes while Maya continued staring. "Well? Don't look at me! Get lost!" He suddenly barked, waving his hand dismissively.

"Okay, fine!" Gill yelled back, sending Maya an awkward look before signaling her to follow him with a jut of his head. Aiden watched them go before leaving himself.

He rather clean and guiltless as he left the scene with no care. Unless if hunger counted as a care, which it did. He was beginning to regret turning Maya, Gill and Lukas away. Without them, he had no one to chat with. Lukas was off somewhere, and Aiden knew that the blonde needed his cooldown-time and was in no mood good enough to dine. Maya and Gill would be angry and flippant for sure! He didn't dare pull out his iBlock; Maya, Gill and Lukas were his only contacts. Aiden knew he was alone, with no one to talk no or text.

So he decided that he was literally going to sit and wait for something interesting to happen.

"It's Gabriel the Warrior!" Came a frenzied cry from the out of nowhere. Aiden turned his head and watched boredly as a large wad of people clotted at the end of the street. Over the people's plain heads, colorful masks and tall hates, he barely caught a glimpse of Gabriel's head. This was no treat to the brunette. Aiden would've left the scene as if nothing happened, but something caught his eye. Something much more interesting than Gabriel. Something that granted his wish.

He saw Jesse.

Aiden grinned mischievously and quickly ran to Jesse, blocking the path of the suspenders-clad boy.

"Hey, Jesse!" He shouted into his face, smiling cruelly as he hampered Jesse before the other boy finally stood to hear what Aiden had to say. Aiden's eye missed the determination and annoyance in Jesse's stark, green eyes, instead immediately glaring at Jesse's legs. "So, where's that pig of yours? Finally decided to get a life and lose him?" He joked, looking into Jesse's face again. What was a spark of hurt and guilt instantly turned into revelation and anger and Aiden felt strong hands grasping his shoulders.

"Get out of my way, you idiot!" He barked angrily, tossing Aiden by the frame and out of the way like he was of no importance. Aiden's eyes widened in surprise, instantly squinting in disgust as his pride took a blow. How dare that loser touch him!

"Hey, watch it!" Aiden barked, his rage heightening when Jesse walked on, completely ignoring him. He groaned loudly, glaring as he went his own way.

"Stupid, stupid Jesse." He muttered to himself, adrenaline and pride about to explode from within.

"What did he do this time?" Came aloud, yet disinterested voice from behind. Aiden turned around, met with his old friend Gill, who stared at him with a deadpan face.

"He called me an idiot…." Aiden said before looking Gill over, skepticism on his own face. "Where's Maya?"

"She left." He answered blatantly, his angered stare fixed on Aiden. Aiden took a moment to consider what the bearded man just said, realizing the effect of his own taunt for the first time.

"Oh… uh… oh well, then." He shrugged.

"'Oh well'?! How about 'Gee, Gill, I'm sorry for making a cringey sex-joke and scaring off your girlfriend'?" He yelled, gaining an amused, surprised look from the brunette that was confusing at first.

"Oh, you two are a thing now? Girlfriend and boyfriend?" Aiden asked, feigning naive fascination and ticking Gill off.

"That's not what I meant to say, Aiden."

"But you said it, so you must think about yourselves like that."

"Shut up! This isn't funny!"

"Alright! Sheesh! No need to cry about it." Aiden yelled offendedly. Gill decided to simply ignore that final remark. It was best for the both of them. Especially Aiden, he thought. "So, where'd she run off to?"

"I don't know, stupid." Gill remarked, smiling inwardly as he took a bit of revenge. It was small, but still sweet.

"Cool it, Lover-Boy."

"Aiden! Gill!" Came Maya's voice from behind. The two turned around and saw the woman jogging towards them, a nervous look in her blue eyes and smile. Aiden sent Gill a rude, knowing smirk. Gill returned an intimidating glare which Aiden thought nothing of.

"Hey." Maya greeted casually, trying to forget about Aiden's tasteful comments. She tried to look past their unpleasant stares towards each other and her own uneasiness. "So… what should we do now?"

"Whatever you guys want. I'm bored." Aiden replied with a shrug.

"Are you? I figured you were having a blast." Maya muttered to herself, making sure he couldn't hear her comment. No need to cause further tension. Gill thought for a second.

"Why don't we go to hear Gabriel's speech?"

"Why?" We already met him to day." Maya said.

"I know. It's just be great to kill the time."

"He's right. Much better than sitting around and waiting for something interesting to happen." Aiden added, quickly remembering his last encounter with Jesse. That didn't go too well, not at all. "Let's go get Lukas, then." Aiden said, taking the lead while the two followed in tense silence.

Maya felt grateful that Aiden didn't question Gill or herself about their awkward first… outing. As she thought about this, she gazed at the bearded man, her bearded man, and smiled inwardly. He glanced at her, but she quickly looked away, Aiden's crude remark still fresh in her memory. But she felt Gill gradually move closer to her until they were walking side by side, something that brought a smile outside to her pink features.

"Sorry about, uh… when we tried…." Gill fumbled around for words, shyly looking ahead and rubbing his beard.

"Going out?" Maya hesitantly finished his sentence, looking at him with slight expectation. The two words felt strange coming from her lips, especially when concerning Gill and herself. He felt weird, too, and unconsciously rubbed his neck with embarrassment.

"Um… I guess you could call it that, but… yeah."

"No need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. Besides, it…." She looked away. "It wasn't anything important." She finished, her eyes looking with Gill's for a moment. He gazed into her sky-blue eyes for a moment, frowning apologetically.

"... okay, then." He replied, their eyes fixed on one another's, both of them smiling warmly.

"Hey, lovebirds, catch up!" Yelled Aiden, standing many paces ahead of them. Maya and Gill's soft, gentle eyes widened with embarrassment. Annoyed with Aiden and feeling worse about themselves, they reluctantly jogged up their self-proclaimed leader.

When Maya and Gill caught up with Aiden, he had completely stopped, leaving the flustered two angrier than before.

"Well? What _is_ it then?" Maya demanded.

Aiden abruptly jerked his hand, pointing somewhere seemingly random. Maya and Gill followed his hand to see Lukas a short way off by the slimeball booth, speaking with Jesse, leader of the "Order of the Losers"!

"Why is he hanging with _Jesse_ of all people? What is Jesse? Better than us or something?" Aiden asked Maya and Gill.

"I don't know." Maya answered, her soft fingers forming fists as she dwelled on the rare, offensive possibility.

"Um… technically, they're just talking. Not hanging." Gill supplied, hoping the other two would simmer down about the faulty accusation.

"Talking, hanging, who the Nether cares?!" Aiden yelled, throwing up his hands in exaggeration. Too angry to notice the stunned stares from bypassers in earshot, he continued. "We don't associate with losers! But it seems _Lukas_ has _forgotten_." He declared boldly before marching towards the two, leaving behind his two confused comrades. He happened to glance back to see them staring quizzically at him, an issue he was quick to address. "Stop standing around like idiots and get your butts over here!" He yelled, making them glare.

"But why, though? Whatever you try to say to Jesse, Lukas is just gonna get all edgy and make you stop, like he's been doing all day." Gill reminded him begrudgingly.

"Yeah." Aiden glared at Maya who began to shy back after her remark.

"Backing up your boyfriend, are we?" He asked spitefully, making them both go quiet. "Let's go, you two." He said, turning around and walking off once again, this time with some company.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yeah! First chapter out! So, as you can see, unlike the first edition, this one has a few changes, including that it's rated K+ instead of T. But if you think the rating may be too low, let me know in a review! But keep in mind that this story won't have any adult themes (the highest I plan on going is a kiss). Anyways, thanks for reading and have a great day! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	2. Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

 **Heyo! Chapter two is out after a week, so sorry for the wait! Anyways, read and enjoy! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

The Ocelots looked more like a pack of angry dogs rather than cats as they approached Lukas with threatening glares.

At the slimeball-booth, Lukas boredly toyed with a small, sticky slimeball, tossing it up and down. He lazily gazed at the three Ocelots as they neared him. 'What are they mad about _now_?', he thought. Aiden spoke first, not even caring to decorate his words with his usually cool, cruel tone.

"Why were you talking to Jesse?" He suddenly demanded, accusingly jabbing a finger at Lukas.

"Well, why not?" Lukas spat back, glaring with his blue, bold eyes.

"Well, in case you _conveniently forgot_ ," Aiden began, standing inches from the blonde's face, "We _don't_ associate with _losers_."

"Yeah, Lukas. We don't want to taint our name with people like them." Maya added with a stern glare.

"Taint our name?" Lukas asked rhetorically, unsurprised by their arrogance, but furious nonetheless. The other three stood angrily, waiting for him to finish. "What about what happened today, Aiden? When you _cheated_? Doesn't _that_ count as 'tainting our name', Maya?"

"Seriously, Lukas? What the heck are-"

"I'm talking about Jesse's _pig_ , Aiden." Lukas rephrased, not wanting to hear Aiden feign innocence. Their eyes locked and Lukas saw the indignant anger in Aiden's stare.

"That was _coincidental_. I broke a block that _happened_ to be holding in some lava. Said lava burned a pig that was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. End of story." He explained, folding his arms snobbishly.

"No. _Not_ 'end of story'. Your little temper-tantrum burned down Jesse's build!"

"... then his _build_ must've been in the wrong place at the wrong time." He said, getting a few laughs and snickers from Maya and Gill.

"Ugh! Seriously?! You are _full_ of yourselves! Aiden, you _knew_ what you were doing back there! You weren't just trying to hurt Jesse's pig! You wanted to burn down their build, too!" Lukas argued. Aiden groaned, begrudgingly rolling his eyes before fixing his green eyes on Lukas.

"Fine, then. I _did_ cheat." He finally admitted, his tone angry and unrepentant. "So, what're you gonna _do_ about it, Lukas?" He asked, making Lukas's adrenaline rise with his mockingly sweet tone. "Are you gonna go tattle? Huh?"

"You're gonna cry to mommy like a dumb baby? Maya added, smiling cruelly.

"Yeah. A dumb, _blonde_ baby?" Gill said. Lukas shut his eyes, forcing himself to breathe slowly as he tried to block out their insults and trying to keep his fists and feet to himself.

"Just because I am blonde, I am _not_ stupid!" He spoke calmly at first, but the last few words flew out of his mouth loudly and angrily.

"Whoa, buddy! Who said _anything_ about being blonde makes you stupid? You're… actually pretty stupid on your _own_." Aiden growled back.

"If anyone here is stupid, it's _you_ , Aiden! You wouldn't be able to learn something new if it would save your life!"

"No, actually he _would_." Gill backed.

"Oh. Okay, then. How about learning how to stop being such a _slimeball_?!" Lukas shouted. "You care so much about your stupid, little image, as if you ever _had_ one. How about focusing on your _nose_ and keeping it out of my _business_? You're not king of the world, 'daddy'. You're just impossible." Aiden gave a fake yawn.

"Oh, boo-hoo. I'm impossible. At least I'm _something_." Aiden shrugged, not surprised to hear his entourage paying him homage from behind. Lukas stared back, blue eyes squinting in anger. "Let's go , guys." Aiden commanded, giving Lukas one last, rude grin before strolling off a winner.

"Well, that was a good roast!" Gill cheered. Aiden sent him a prideful smile as they walked.

"Of course it was. But you really got him with the 'dumb, blonde baby' remark, Gill." He complimented.

"Naturally. That _was_ pretty funny." He said as they all began to laugh about their conquest.

"Yeah, but he's gonna hate us tomorrow." Maya reminded them.

"Oft, nah. You know Lukas. He's that stupid 'forgive 'n forget' type." Aiden said. "Tomorrow, when we're back at the house, we'll say 'sowwy that you're a sensitive, dumb, blonde baby', and it'll all go back to normal."

"Hope so." Maya said as the entered the Endercon Convention center.

Once inside, the Ocelots sat down in one of the long rows of chairs. Like the many other in the crowd, they waited for Gabriel who wasn't onstage yet. After about ten or so minutes of chatting and laughter, a smiling announcer walked across the stage, exciting most of the eager crowd and making them holler with expectation. Aiden, Maya and Gill decided to shout and cheer along just for the fun of it, though they had their share of Gabriel earlier.

"Who's ready to meet Gabriel the Warrior?" The announced bellowed, sounding excited herself. The crowd replied with a monstrous, yet welcoming roar of approval. Hearing their loud screaming, Gabriel entered from behind the announcer who happily waved 'hi' as the thundering audience screamed louder.

Gabriel soon began his speech, his low, booming voice husting the crowd. Instead of listening, the Ocelots only managed to get bored, whispering to each other rather than enjoying the speech.

"Hee, this is a pretty lame speech." Maya whispered to the two boys.

"Yeah, he should really just stick to swordplay and killing dragons." Aiden agreed, Gill replying with a short, still hearty laugh. "This has been a _long_ day. I can't _wait_ to get home, actually." He whispered to them while Gill tried to ignore the stares for his "random" laugh.

"Yeah. This is the part where people start getting restless." Gill added, wondering why he even suggested that they'd go see the speech in the first place. They listened absent-mindedly as Gabriel's speech droned on.

"Oh, look. Now he's asking questions!" Gill said, pointing at the stage after hearing Gabriel open up the platform for such requests. Aiden glanced at the stage after paying no prior attention to it.

"Whatever, Gill. I think we asked enough when we got to meet him." Aiden said.

"You asked some… pretty weird questions." Gill said to Maya how gave him shocked then humorously annoyed look.

"So 'how often do you shower' isn't weird?"

"I needed to know, okay?" Gill whispered back, turning Aiden's head.

"Why'd you bring bring _that_ up? I almost managed to forget!" He joked. Maya gave a satisfied, smug grin, realizing that she smartly shoved Gill into the spotlight, saving herself.

"It was a good question. In fact, I'd say I got hygiene skills from a boss!"

"No, you _weirded out_ a boss. Speaking of which…." Aiden sent Maya a tricky, flashy smile that rapidly chipped away at her sense of relief. "Mind telling us just how weird _your_ question was?" He asked, making Maya sigh with defeat and embarrassment.

"Fine… it was-"

"I swear, I'm not joking! There's a monster in the basement!" Yelled a frantic, feminine voice from the front, cutting off Maya and distracting all three Ocelots. Aiden stood to his feet, oddly turned on by the annoyingly familiar voice. Gill and Maya did the same, Maya even standing in her chair to get a better look at the scared-sounding girl.

Gill gave an expressively shocked, hooting whistle while they and the rest of the audience stared the dark-skinned girl and her larger friend down.

"Is that… Olivia?!" Maya whispered to Aiden and Gill.

"Yeah! And… big-guy, or whatever they call him!" Gill added, pointing at Axel who stood by her side. Aiden stared intently at the two.

"Where's Jesse and that pig of his?" He asked, sounding more irked than concerned.

"Okay," Axel began, his loud, baritone voice echoing through the acoustic building, "It's two words, six syllables, rhymes with 'schmonster in the schmasement." Axel said, seeming upset when Gabriel shook his head and gave an unconvinced frown. "Come on," Axel pleaded, "Do you want me to act it out in charades or something?"

"That would be the _last_ thing I want you to do." Gabriel joked displeasedly, making some of the audience laugh, as well as… take a wild guess.

"What is that village-idiot _doing_?!" Aiden snickered as Maya and Gill's laughter subsided.

"I have no clue!" Maya answered. They sat and watched Axel and Olivia whine to Gabriel about the monster in the basement, wondering when it would end, though they weren't sure if they wanted to do away with their quality-entertainment.

"I have a question for you!" Came a proud, villainous voice from the crowd, making Gabriel and a few turn their heads as a snively, old-looking man forced his way through the crowd.

"Excuse me, sir, you'll have to wait your turn."

"Just tell me first: Do you really believe _anyone_ can be great?" He asked as if he hadn't heard Gabriel at all. Maya sent the man a look.

"Geez, who invited grandpa?" She asked, tuning out their conversation for that time.

"I don't know." Gill replied, no longer smiling and staring nervously at the new character instead.

"With enough work, yes." He heard Gabriel reply.

"Is _that_ where I went wrong?!" The older man suddenly, angrily yelled, the volume and ferocity in his voice making Maya flinch. "I simply didn't _work_ hard enough?!"

"Ivor? Is that really _you_?! How _dare_ you interrupt like this!"

"Wow, this is weird. I don't like this." Aiden said.

"How do you know who he is?" Asked Jesse from onstage, making Aiden cringe.

"Now I hate it even more." He pouted, shifting anxiously in his seat as the three Ocelots remained quiet, too nervous to say anything to Jesse and wanting to stay unseen by the two older men.

"I don't know if I ever really knew him, but what I _did_ know, I didn't like."

"The feeling is entirely mutual." Ivor inputted offendedly. "Why don't you tell them the _real_ story, Gabriel?" He threatened, beginning to walk up the stairs and onto the stage while Gabriel glared defensively.

"I see time has made you bitter." He observed coolly before he met face to face with the disgruntled man.

"And has made _you_ an even _bigger_ fool." He said gravely, leering at Gabriel before turning to face the crowd. "Now these people were promised greatness, and I'm ready to deliver." With that, he began to walk to a switch at the back of the stage. "I'm sorry this is how they had to learn the truth…." He flipped the switch and a strange, T-shaped build rose from the floor, making a few in the audience gasp.

"Guys, I…." Maya's breath hitched in her throat with disbelief as she watched Ivor approaching the little monument with a Wither-skull after muttering something to Gabriel. "I think he's trying to build a Wither." She rambled, her hands starting to quiver. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the intricately-designed middle block's colorful, blinking lights. The block itself was unlike anything she had ever seen, but the T-shape with the soul-sand only made her stomach churn. Suddenly, a hand grasped hers, squeezing tightly and tugging her to her feet. Who she thought was Gill turned out to be Aiden pulling her as well as Gill to his feet, ready to dart from the building.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Aiden shouted as the Wither-boss quite literally exploded to life.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry! This was supposed to be coming out** _ **earlier**_ **, but I got into the wonderful world of creating fanart, so… I got sidetracked. That AND I had general life stuff. But here's chapter two after a week! Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter, we'll be getting into the wonderful headcanon! I've already got most of this story laid out, but if you think you want me to do something, be sure to tell! I might just alter the story a bit. That aside, tell me how I did, and thanks for reading!**

 **This reads about 1,888 words (minus AN's.)**


	3. Run!

**Author's Note:**

 **Heya! Hi! Hello! And welcome back to another installment of MC:OM! But before we get into this, I'd like to respond to a few reviews from the brave commentators and readers!**

 **Blah blah blah: Thanks! I'm glad you're liking it so far!**

 **NoItsBecky: Thanks! Yeah, I was starting to think the same thing too. 17 out of 20 of my stories are crack, and 1 of the 3 that isn't is discontinued, so that's 17 to 2. Really bad numbers. I'm gonna be writing more serious/non-insane stuff in the near future, so don't worry! :D**

 **StrawHatter920: Hmm… I'm not so sure, but I'll definitely consider that. Aiden doesn't have a crush on Maya in this story, though, so it might not work out. And to your review on "A Name for Ourselves", I will be doing a story based on that. It'll be the sequel of this story you're reading now. I just thought I'd answer that review now because ANfO's next update isn't going to be very soon.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, guys! Your words mean a lot to me! And, let's hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: Okay! (we hit it together)**

* * *

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Those were the last words Maya heard from Aiden before she felt her arm almost popping clean off! She quickly moved her wobbly legs to darting when Aiden jerked and dragged her into a run.

Screams that were just so happy and positive a few minutes ago were now turned horrified and chaotic, echoing around her with explosions that went off as Wither-skulls hit the ground behind her, causing a wildfire to start.

She saw the fire's red shades spreading their deadly hand over buildings, grass and trees, but she wasn't sure if she was sweating because of that or the burning fear in her own heart. She tried to hold onto Aiden's hand, but her own hand was starting to slip from his as his speed increased.

"Aiden! Slow down!" She screamed at him, praying that he could hear her over the chaos.

"No, Maya! You have to go faster!" He yelled back, keeping his grueling, high speed steady.

"Aiden, I-" She screamed in fear when her hand slipped from his. She barely heard both Aiden and Gill screaming her name before her leg twisted and the momentum sent her faceplanting into the ground. Short puffs of wind ruffled her hair and jacket as people flew past her. She screamed when she felt her hand getting crushed. She curled into a ball, though she felt her feet getting crushed by feet that sometimes slammed into her face.

"Maya!" Gill screamed as he and Aiden worked hard to move against the brutally fearsome crowd. Each body that collided into Gill's or Aiden's own made them dogged, frustration and pain urging them on.

Between scurrying jeans and floor-scuffing tennis-shoes, Aiden saw Maya curled up on the floor, barely able to shield her face from the stampeding flock. Before he could say anything, someone's large body rammed into him at top speed. Aiden yelped as he felt himself fly backwards. Two hands caught him by the arms before he could hit the ground. He opened his eyes as Gill jerked him upright, the stronger male somehow standing against the waves of people as they beat against them.

"You okay?" Gill asked quickly.

"I saw Maya! She's over there!" Aiden said, pointing in her direction before rushing to her with Gill close behind. When they made it to her, Gill quickly pulled her to her feet, but she yelped in pain, making both of them flinch as she brought a hand to her thigh.

"My leg's-" Before she could finish her explanation, Gill suddenly scooped her off of feet, catching her and Aiden by surprise. He nodded once at Aiden, signaling him to stay close, and ran off. Aiden followed, thankful to be running with the current and not against it.

'How is he _doing_ that?' Aiden thought as he panted and watched Gill effortlessly soar across the area, even with Maya in his arms. His own sore feet and tired legs were starting to wear out. The smokey, ashy air made his lungs burn, and he was running out of breath and energy because of it. The huge fire's blinding heat only made him feel worse. He coughed loudly as he fought for air and to keep up with everyone.

Behind him, he heard a dragon-like, heart-stopping, near demonic roar. He jarred his fingers into his ringing ears, stumbling as the ground shook. Not daring to stop running, he turned his head and screamed in terror at what he saw.

It was hard to believe that the black and purple monstrosity before him used to be a miniscule, familiar Wither-boss with an odd block in its ribs. But now it was barely recognisable except for its three-headed figure. Large, mighty tentacles had grown out of its sides. Each of three heads no longer resembled square Wither-skulls. Instead, they seemed like ugly, one-eyed snakes with jaws filled with marred, terrible teeth. Out of its bright, purple eyes came strange beams of light that quickly vacuumed the scurrying people into their three hungry maws.

Its new, deadly form allowed it to float seamlessly thought the sky and towards the crowd that Aiden, Maya and Gill were in, greedily following the larger, more appetizing group. Aiden whimpered, picking up his already high speed when he heard loud screaming and saw people behind him floating into the purple tractor-beams.

His eyes buzzed around his dwindling group like two worried wasps. Where were Maya and Gill? Didn't they get a head start? Or did they fall behind? Did they get sucked into that Storm?!

"Maya! Gill! Where are you?!" He screamed into the burning forest. His only answer was a roaring Witherstorm and screaming pedestrians on the run. Scowling as the heat burned into his eyes, he ran on, determination in his heart. 'They're not dead. They're not dead'. The words played over and over again in his head as if a light leading him to the goal.

Glancing up ahead, he saw a long, wide, fiery redwood tree laying on its side in front of a serene-looking clearing. He silently prayed he'd run into his friends there.

The Witherstorm's malevolent roar behind him made him flinch and glance around to see its long, blackish-purple tentacles stealing people away to its jaws, assisted by its deadly tractor beams. He couldn't tear his horrified stare away from its bulging, glowing, purple eyes, his stomach turning sick as he fought gruesome images of his friends' terrible, probable fate.

Aiden yelped when something struck his leg, but his cry was muffled and cut short when he faceplanted on the other side of what turned out to be the flaming log. He quickly tried to scramble to his feet, but something hard and heavy slammed onto his right shoulder like a sledgehammer, smashing his bones. He screamed in pain as waves of pain beat his entire body back and forth. Grasping his arm and hissing through his teeth, he arched his back and began to stagger to his feet, but another set of feet landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him and pounding him into the dirt. Dazedly, he realized how much danger his life was in. People were jumping over the log in their escape and landing on him, but they didn't notice him lying almost directly behind it.

Every time Aiden tried to get up, another set of feet slammed into his back and sharp nails dug into his clothes and neck as they clambered over him, too scared to stop and help someone in need. Each pounding left him weaker and more battered than before. After a few more tiresome tries, he feebly covered his head with his good arm, though the measly shield only covered the top of his head, much less his back and legs. When he least expected it, heavy, bulky feet slammed into his back, making him scream shortly as bones popped before a huge body landed on him, forcing his head into the ground and his mind into unconsciousness.

POV Switch

Maya's arms wrapped tightly around Gill's neck as she hung onto him for her life as he jogged through the blazing forest. As he dashed across the rugged trail, Maya's head knocked against his chest and she felt the terribly bumpy ride would give her a concussion.

She felt herself slipping through his grasp and she squeezed down on him, making him grunt as he fastened his grip on her body. The last thing any of them wanted was a tumble across the floor before getting flattened by half the city.

Minutes after his adjustment, he bounded over the fiery log, stumbling when his feet made contact with the ground. Gravity ripped her out of his arms and she almost hit the floor, but Gill was quick to catch her. She squirmed in his arms when he gripped her hurt leg too tightly, though she was grateful for his quick thinking and sure arms.

As they rushed into the calm, empty field and brought a chaotic hellstorm behind them, Gill heard Gabriel yell something to the runners, but he couldn't quite make out the words over the extreme pandemonium, ignoring it and focusing on his own instinct instead. His eyes darted around for a place to hide when he felt soreness in his back and legs. The adrenaline and strength he once had diminished and he knew he wouldn't be able to endure much more running.

"Gill, where are we going?" Maya yelled, her voice shaking with each bump.

"We're going to hide in the woods!" He yelled, changing his course and hoping the Witherstorm would stick to chasing the runners and not notice him or Maya. Wanting nothing but safety, Maya clung to his chest and hoped for the best.

When he started to make his getaway, the Witherstorm made like a dark, purple, looming cloud and rained on his formidable, bloodthirsty beast wouldn't let anyone escape, loosely snaring Gill by the leg and lifting him up. They both screamed when Gill felt himself being lifted off the ground. Gill quickly loosened his grip on Maya and she fell to the floor as he went higher up.

"Gill! Noo!" Maya screamed from the ground. Her legs trembled as she stood, watching horrifiedly as the monster prepared for its next snack.

"Maya! What are you doing?! Run! I've got this!" He shouted down to her, whipping out a stone axe. Before he could slice at the tentacle, he fell from the Witherstorm's loose grasp, screaming as he fell headlong the few blocks' distance to the floor. When he stood up to run, he felt a stinging pain in his leg that he didn't have time to tend to. Instead, he grabbed Maya again and ran for the woods, the Witherstorm screaming behind them, probably distracted by more goodies to eat.

Once in the woods, hidden away by tall trees, Gill gently set Maya down. Her eyes were fixed on the edge of the forest, even if it was shielded by the surrounding foliage. When they heard the Witherstorm screaming a way off, Gill turned to face Maya whose face was pale and sweaty, her mouth slightly open as she panted softly. Her teary eyes didn't move from their place as she remained deep in thought and terror.

"Gill, wh-what about A-Aiden?" She stammered, her shaky voice and troubling question piercing the new calm. Gill sent her a worried glance as he panted from exhaustion.

"We can't go out there, Maya. That… thing might get us." He said, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath. His breath hitched as if he remembered some important task when it was too late. "We're just gonna have to wait it out." He solemnly realized. Maya stayed quiet, her eyes moving for the first time to stare at the floor in disbelief.

'What happened?' She thought. They were all just so happy before, but suddenly her whole world was literally crashing all around her, leaving her a helpless, little girl, lost in the woods and hiding from a monster. What about getting home? Didn't Aiden just talk about that? If she ever regretted taking life for granted, it was now. All those cliche sayings rang in her head, making her want to travel back in time to warn herself to cherish the moments. They wouldn't be able to go home, or at least not together. Even if they found Aiden, she still didn't know where Lukas was, something that made the gloom settle deeper in her stomach.

What if he _and_ Aiden were gone forever, stuck inside that horrible beast and forced to go through the burning, acidic pains of digestion? She'd never be able to apologize to Lukas or see his blonde hair again. She'd never build alongside him or Aiden ever again.

What if she and Gill were next on the menu?

Tears burned her eyes and she blinked them out, letting them slide down her cheeks as she quietly sniffled.

Gill heard her and walked to her side, gently sitting next to her. He softly wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into his warm, comforting embrace, not sure how to speak to either of their fears.

He stifled a gasp when she suddenly buried her loud sobs in his chest, squeezing him tightly with her arms. After the initial shock left him, he hugged her back, resting his head on hers and letting his own tears slide down his face.

He felt like he was stuck in some strange, new form of nightmare. When that thought made him feel spacey and lightheaded, he wished his body would obey his feelings and fly away from it all. But no matter how badly he wanted to desert that world for another, even if through the sweet unconsciousness fainting would've brought, he knew that he was in no nightmare. This was reality. There was no escaping it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Phew! Finally the end! Man, oh man, I'm so sorry. This was supposed to come out on Friday (yesterday), but as usual I got caught up with fanart. If you want to see it, it's on my G+, but you should be aware that there's a stab wound with blood. Just wanted to state that for younger people. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed this! Leave a review, and you know what to do, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: ?**

 **Me:... close it.**

 **Crisper:... Oh! Durr! (closes it at long last)**

 **PS: Here's the link to the fanart:**

 **/plus.**

 **google.**

 **com/u/0/b/115421839618631646502/photos/photo/115421839618631646502/6333972124381005986?icm=false**


	4. (Not a chapter) Trifling Choice Ahead?

Okay, guys. Now, this might be a bit crazy for you guys, maybe even a bit annoying, but please, bear with me. Alright, so I've been thinking, and it seems like one of my other works of fanfiction, "A Name for Ourselves" is getting quite a bit of attention lately. Most of the readers want me to write a full story based on it, which I will. But I have to ask you guys a question.

Would you rather me finish this and upload this as a sequel, or write a whole new story beginning at the end of the events of the Witherstorm? Please leave a review with your answer! This story isn't exactly getting dropped, though. If you guys want the episode 5 story, this will only be going on a hiatus until further notice.

I'm really sorry if this is annoying you, because you all already had to go through the first rewrite, and now I'm talking about a new story. But if you want ANFO (A Name for Ourselves), don't be afraid to let me know!


	5. Reunion

**Author's Note:**

 **Heya! It's me, lazy ol' Gamer, back from a two-month vacation! Whoop-dee-do. First of all, I'm sorry for not updating (but assuming most of you guys were in school, maybe you didn't notice?). School, grades and art got in the way and I was stressed and just couldn't find the time for a while. But now I'm back!**

 **As far as those votes, many of you guys wanted a novelization of ANFO while only a few wanted MC:OM. Buuut, with this long destressor break I've had, I've come to a sensible conclusion. Why not simply work on** _ **both**_ **? So that's what I'll do. But don't worry! Those votes didn't go to waste (without them, you'd be waiting WAY longer for ANFO to come out, so thank you very much for voting!) It'll take a bit of time to get the first chapter of ANFO out, but I won't be putting MC:OM on hold either, so everyone wins!**

 **Now, Crisper, hit it!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

Aiden couldn't breathe when he woke was dark and smelled like the earth. After realizing he was awake, he quickly sat up gasping for air, cringing when bright light flooded his eyes. He opened his eyes and quickly rubbed out the bits of dirt that clung to his lids. His entire body was burning with soreness, but his head, arm and back stood out amongst the pain.

Using his left arm, he pushed himself into a sitting position, hissing when his back popped.

Slowly loosening his left hand's strong grasp from his throbbing right shoulder, he looked at his arm, noticing that while his left was painless and rigid, the other ached tremendously and hung limply at his side. His likely-bruised back and throbbing head made his comfort no better. He feebly brushed his hand through his brown hair, not exactly surprised to find a large knot there.

'What the heck happened?!' He thought to himself. He groggily looked around and saw faint-blue smoke rising from the fallen trees of the burnt forest. Aiden knew that something serious had gone down, but what?

He felt a haunting sense of anxiety, but didn't know why. He vaguely remembered running away from something, but that small fact didn't put any of the massive destruction together. He was still questioning his broken arm and wanted to know who was responsible for the strange, painful knot on his head.

'Where am I?' He thought as his nervousness peaked. His racing heart seemed to float in his dry throat as his grass green eyes darted fearfully around his new, unfamiliar surroundings Where were his friends at? And why couldn't he remember anything past winning Endercon the previous night?

Where _was_ Endercon, anyways?

He scrambled to his feet, hissing in pain when he accidentally put too much pressure on his doubtlessly broken arm.

"Maya! Gill? Lukas, where are you guys?!" he shouted frightenedly, hoping for a response. He felt his pounding head wouldn't be able to bear any more of the emotional stress and physical results.

With nothing to do but stand around shouting their names until sunset, he couldn't remember feeling more clueless than he was now. His breathing quickened and he threatened to scream in lost composure.

He felt like something was bothering, even haunting, his mind, making him feel like something terrible was going to catch him by surprise and seize him from behind if he didn't run for his life like his guts were begging him to.

Was he losing his mind?

Grasping his throbbing head and subsequently pulling his brown hair in frustration, he tried to remember what had happened last night, even though the more he thought about it, the more intense his headache got.

"Just stop thinking about it…." He told himself, expecting to be comforted by the sound of his voice.

Instead, his voice was incredibly hoarse as if he had been screaming all night. His raspy, suppressed voice only made him question and worry more.

He only faintly remembered screaming and running, but from what? Why wouldn't his brain let him remember?

As he ambled around, he painfully called out for his friends to no avail. He paid close attention to his surroundings, hoping they'd somehow jog his stubborn memory. His memory slowly went to work after a time of thinking over the evidence of the tragedy and fighting with his headache.

As vivid, terrifying images of the Witherstorm filled his head, his breath quickened until he realized he was actually hyperventilating as panic set in, an action he usually would've laughed at someone for doing. The damage done to the once beautiful clearing was enough to send him screaming for his life, but what did it mean for his friends?

"Guys! Guys, where are you?!" He croaked, limping into the clearing with a hand clutching his fiery throat.

POV Switch

When Maya woke up, loud snoring overwhelmed her senses. She was surprised to find herself laying on something squishy, warm and breathing. She stirred a bit, not sure why her pillow was alive and snoring, but frightened and shocked nonetheless.

She shot up and squealed in surprise when she heard and felt Gill sit up directly beside her, an abrupt snort ending his heavy slumber. Maya gazed down to her sides, shock playing across her red face when she saw and felt Gill's arms wrapped around her body. She looked up and their eyes met as they both realized their faces were inches from each other's. A split-second later, they instantly, bashfully looked away from each other, their close proximity allowing them to feel the heat on each other's faces before Maya awkwardly scooted away from him, Gill snatching his hands off of her with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Hehehe… um… good morning…?" He said, rubbing his neck and still avoiding eye contact. Maya looked at him from out of the corner of her eye, not saying anything. He frowned thoughtfully, and Maya saw him grasp the dirt floor with both hands as if he was about to scoot closer. Instead, he seemed to hesitate before deciding to stay in his spot.

"So… what now?" Gill asked a few seconds later, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Seriously? You're asking _me_ of all people?" Maya responded frustratedly.

"Okay, okay… I was thinking that we should go looking for Aiden and Lukas?" Gill suggested. "I think we'll be safe, with that… thing gone, so…." He quietly watched her from behind, her brown hair bobbing as she nodded her head. Gill stood first and quickly helped Maya to her feet.

"Is your leg still hurting? D'you need me to carry you or something?" He asked, his eyes quickly grazing her legs for any obvious injury before meeting her blue eyes again. She glanced down at her own legs, putting a bit of weight on them. She cringed, yelping softly when a sharp pain shot through her left leg and to the knee. She slowly looked up to him as he stood witha sorry, upset look on his face.

"My leg still hurts, but I'm fine." She said, looking at him as he studied her with concern.

"Are you sure? I really wouldn't mind carrying you."

"No, I'm fine. Let's go." She said, limping slightly as she walked. Gill, knowing she wasn't going to listen to anyone, even if she got recommendation from Notch himself.

"So, do you really think it's gone?" Maya asked Gill, glancing at him as they walked side by side.

"Well, I don't _hear_ it, so hopefully it's gone…" he replied, failing to sound as confident in his guess as he hoped.

They kep walking, but Gill remained silent, not wanting to start any small talk. On the inside, they were both distracted by possibilities of their two friends' deaths. They wanted to hope they were okay, but the couple couldn't help but to think otherwise.

Trying to be strong for Maya, Gill hid his emotions well with a blank face that only looked ahead.

They arrived at the edge of the forest, their stomachs and souls turning as they marveled at the Storm's dreadful effects on the feeble, defenseless biome. There was absolutely nothing left of Endercon or their city. Only a desolate flat of dirt and smoky, fallen trees.

Maya tensed up, starting to feel faint. Was Aiden down there in that wreckage? Or was he lying beneath it? She felt her heart rate swell with her fear and the intensity of her negative hopes, outgrowing any space needed for hope and sound thought to settle.

"Oh no…." she whispered to herself, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. She felt a rush of wind across her side as Gill took off running through the ashy, short grass, screaming Aiden's name louder than she'd ever heard him yell in her life.

Maya felt so powerless. Where would they even look for him? Would he be alive, or would they instead find him dead, sprawled across the floor and crushed by a fallen tree? Would they even _find_ his body?

She sank to her knees in sorrow, cradling herself in her arms as she trid to block out hte debilitating thoughts. She sobbed harshly, the salty tears sliding down her hot, tight face.

Maya heard Gill's cries, still remaining quite audible though he was walking farther away from her with each wept for what felt like the longest time as she remembered Aiden and the lie he lived, sure he was dead. It was a short life, she thought.

Her cries ebbed away and she lay helplessly on the ground. She stroked the faded grass, trying to pretend that it was his soft, brown hair, but the blades were dry and brittle. She retracted her hand, whimpering softly to herself like a small, lonely puppy instead of the brave, witty ocelot depicted on her back, leather jacket.

Suddenly, her heart lurched as a faint voice in the distance reached her ears. She quieted herself and focused on the noise, unable to believe herself at first. As it grew louder and clearer, she was more convinced that she recognized it.

POV Switch

"Maya! Gill! Lukas, are you over here?!" Aiden shouted, his voice strained and weak sounding, though it was all he could manage. He felt like he had been crying out for hours, and he was ever conscious of the sun's position in the sky.

Determined to have someone to fend off mobs with that night, he continued calling out for his friends as he climbed over a small hill with some oak and birch trees on it.

Soon he found himself back in the fields and stifled a frustrated growl that threatened to rip his throat to pieces. He had probably been walking around in circles, and he knew he was wasting so much precious time!

At the top of the hill, his eyes examined the destroyed biome, trying to find a new route to take, but he soon found himself gazing at an Ocelot jacket like his own. He blinked his eyes in surprise and disbelief, staring at the black leather and the familiar brown hair laying directly to the side.

"Maya!" He shouted as loudly as he could, which was quite comparable to the quiet sound of paper tearing. When she didn't hear his dry, squeaky voice he immediately gave up on calling her and started running towards her, trying to ignore the soreness his limping trot gave.

As he ran, she rolled herself over at the sound of his loud footsteps.

"Aiden!" She screamed, and he saw that her eyes had tears in them. He started running towards her, prepared to meet her as they neared each other.

Thanking Notch that they were a few blocks' distance from each other, Aiden quickly stopped. "Wait a second… didn't I… oh crap." He looked up and saw Maya still rushing at him with considerable speed and instantly grasped his still throbbing arm. "Wait! Nonono-!" He shouted, shrinking back and clutching his broken arm as Maya ran closer. He screamed in pain when she collided with him and they both fell backwards, Maya instantly holding herself off of his body with her hands as he hissed loudly and grasped his arm.

"Oh my Notch! What happened? Are you okay?" She shouted as Aiden squirmed beneath her. He used his free hand to gently shove her off and sat up, cradling his arm while she watched worriedly. He said something to her, his voice an indistinguishable whisper.

"What? I can't hear you. Do you need water or something?" She asked, sitting next to him and staring into his eyes. He looked at her for a split second, flinching at her extremely close proximity before quickly refocusing on his arm.

"No, I'm fine." He said quickly and quietly. He felt Maya shifting besides him and looked to see she was sitting on her knees now.

"Here, let me see it." She told him, holding out her hands to hold his forearm. He sent her an odd look before cautiously removing his grasp from the injured arm. He winced and bit his lip as he tried to move it. When he couldn't move it any further, she gently graced her soft fingers on his arm as he awkwardly looked away.

"Oh my Notch, Aiden. It's broken!" She said, looking at the swollen limb as she pressed her fingers in where the bones were snapped. He yelped hoarsely and instantly snatched his arm from her, trying not to glare at her when he did. "Sorry." She whispered softly. She scooted a bit closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder while he sat there dazedly.

"Where's Gill, Maya?" He asked, trying to break the silence quickly. She instantly sat up and stood to her feet.

"He's somewhere over here! Come on!" She shouted, gently taking his other hand in hers and trying to pull him up.

They rushed across the grass, Aiden following quietly hoping Maya knew where she was going. He didn't care about telling her to slow down, knowing that she wouldn't listen or even hear his voice.

"Aiden!" Aiden, where are you?!" They both heard Gill shouting in the near distance. They both ran faster, Aiden excited by the sound of his friend's voice. Maya and Aiden stopped running when Maya released his hand to cup both of them around her mouth.

"Gill! We're over here! Look!" Maya shouted loudly, trying to get the dark-haired man's attention. Aiden smiled when Gill turned around, a purely elated smile slowly spreading across his bearded features.*

"Oh my gosh! Dude, get over here so I can hug you!" Gill shouted, rushing at Aiden with arms opened widely. And it was at that moment Aiden knew he had screwed up.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, sooo… yeah! Happy New Years, and I'd like to say that I'm going to try really hard to get weekly updates on this story, TCoaL, and The Random Roulette. Don't quote me on that, but at the same time don't worry about another two-month hiatus in a long while, soo… bye, everyone!**

 ***I almost forgot, there was about to be a serious blooper in the starred sentence. Instead of what was written, I was about to write "Aiden smiled when Gill turned around, a purely erotic smile slowly spreading across his bearded features". Imagine if that had gotten into the final edit! (even though it technically did) Well, close it Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (is weirded out) (closes it)**


	6. One Down, One to Go

**Author's Note:**

 **Here I am with that weekly update! Week one and I've seem to have gotten everything in on time!**

 **REVIEWS!**

 _ **CassieDaKat: Y'know, the building dudes Maya, Aiden, Gill and Lukas? The Ocelots (from episode one) How could you forget? xD**_

 _ **minecraftmaniac: Thanks! Did you get your eyes unglued? Because prepare to have them REglued!**_

 **So, let's get onto it! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

It put a whole new, frighteningly literal meaning on the phrase "love hurts". As Gill quickly limped over to Aiden with a wide smile and outstretched arms, Aiden tensed up and shut his eyes tightly as he braced for the impacting blow. He felt it would be like getting glomped by a grizzly-bear. A _huge_ grizzly-bear. Or a giant teddy-bear filled with rocks, though he knew it would hurt either way.

"Gill! Stop! His arm's broken!" Maya shouted at what Aiden felt was the last minute. Aiden opened one scared eye when he heard the stampeding footsteps stop. Opening both eyes, he was Gill standing literally inches away from his face, wearing a confused frown.

"Why didn't you just say so, then?" Gill asked. Aiden croaked out an answer, something none of even he himself couldn't quite hear or understand. He made himself cough and hack violently in an attempt to clear his throat, straining to talk befor Maya, seeing his pain, quickly intervened.

"Aiden, don't strain yourself." She said, turning to Gill, "He lost his voice, Gill." She told him. "Do you have a pencil or something he can use?" She asked.

"No, but he _does_ need something for his arm." Gill said after a bit, taking off his jacket and walking towards Aiden. "I'm just putting your arm into a sling." He said when Aiden warily backed away with an unsure, defensive scowl. He walked closer while Aiden stood eyeing Gill skeptically.

"You know how?" Maya asked as if reading Aiden's mind.

"Of course I do!" Gill said as he quickly scooped up one of Aiden's arms with the body of the jacket and tied the sleeves around his neck, making a neat sling. Aiden didn't move or flinch at all during the short process and Maya and Gill were both surprised at the painlessness and ease.

"I guess you _do_ know how to make a sling!" Maya said, pleasantly surprised. Gill couldn't help but to smile proudly.

Aiden poked around at his sling with an annoyed glare before he coughed loudly, trying to clear his throat and muster up all the voice he could.

"Wrong arm." He croaked. Maya glanced at Gill and he quickly looked the other direction.

"I knew that." He muttered under his breath, taking off the sling while Aiden stared back. "I was just getting in some practice." He added, glad that aiden couldn't respond. Gill temperately placed the jacket's body along Aiden's right forearm, making him jerk back and give a hoarse yell when stabbing pain shot up his broken arm.

"Owowooow!" He yelled as he tried to hold still while Gill tried to carefully wrap Aiden's arm.

"Hold still! I'm almost done!" Gill shouted as Aiden squirmed and cried out hoarsely. After a few trying seconds Gill finally wrapped the sleeves around Aiden's neck into a bulky knot. When he felt sure that Gill was finished, Aiden ripped away from him, glowering as he clutched his throbbing arm to himself. He glared at his arm as it hung painfully in the cumbersome folds of Gill's sweaty, leather jacket. Aiden slowly turned to face his friends, still frowning and panting a bit.

"So? How's it feel? It's not too tight, is it?" Gill asked. Aiden began to screech his answer, but quickly gave up after one small chirp. Gill looked surprised. "You really _did_ lose it!" He marveled as Aiden gave a deadpan stare.

"Aiden, is your cast okay?" She asked, catching their attention and ending the staring contest. Aiden nodded, making Gill give a subtle, proud grin. "Okay, then. First we need to find you some water. After that I think we should be ready to try to find Lukas…?" She suggested before Aiden shook his head vigorously. She looked at him with confused eyes, trying to read his angry face. "You don't want water?" He shook his head again. "So, you want to just skip to the finding Lukas part?" She asked, praying his answer would be a hale and hearty nod of the head. But instead, she got a curt shake of the head and a bad-tempered frown.

"Why not?" Gill asked curtly. Aiden irately gestured to Gill to come closer. Gill quietly obeyed, standing a few inches away from Aiden, looking him directly in the face. Aiden leaned closer to Gill,tilting a bit to the side so that his lips were almost touching Gill's ear.

"Why should we go out there? I almost _died_ just last night!" He whispered sharply.

"I know, we did too. But we can't just sit around here and do nothing."

"Yes, we can!"

"No, we _can't_! Lukas is probably out there looking for us, so we should do the same for him, shouldn't we?" He asked, making Aiden clench his one good hand into a fist. He knew that Gill was definitely right, even if the idea seemed stupid in itself, which it did.

"Where would we even _look_? We can't just walk out into the wild!" He hissed, making Gill give a nervously giddy chuckle. Aiden immediately backed off, teeming with anger. How could someone _laugh_ at a time like this? "What?" He croaked.

"Hehe, actually I think I know where Lukas might be." He said satisfiedly.

"Wait, you do?!" Maya asked beamingly, rushing to Gill side.

"I, um… well I _think_ I do." He stammered, glancing at her before quickly averting his eyes back to Aiden's face. Aiden glowered skeptically and Gill decided to continue. "It's not far, I swear. 'Cause last night I saw everyone running behind Gabriel. I thought I heard him yelling something about 'shelter' and it not being so far away. If we just look around, maybe we'll find it." Aiden quickly leaned next to Gill's ear again, frowning angrily as he did.

"So we're just supposed to go off something you _think_ happened?"

"Aiden, it's not far. And if it's not here, then we'll stop looking. I promise."

"I don't want your promise. I want to live." He growled. He backed off soon after, leaving Gill to await an answer. Aiden turned away, holding his arm and staring at the floor. Gill and Maya waited, unwilling to leave their friend. "Well, where is it?" He asked after a few seconds, his barely audible voice just loud enough for the eager listeners.

((Le Timeskip, brought to you by Le Otra Timeskip!))

"Told you it wasn't far!" Gill shouted as he, Maya and Aiden took in the view of the rumored shelter. The entire build was made with hardwearing, blackish-purple obsidian, lined with cloud grey stone bricks.

Not in the mood to enjoy the aesthetic pride and stalwartness of the shelter, Maya rushed up the few stairs and to the doors, throwing them open with anticipation.

"Hello?" She shouted, her cry echoing down the black, eerie hall. She stood with folded, giving a disappointed frown. "Is anyone there?" She called again, hearing footsteps as Aiden and Gill limped up the stairs. She blinked away some tears before turning around to face the two men. She took time to further compose herself, seeing both of them were distracted by the empty room.

"Nobody's here." She told them, her small voice echoing softly through the large corridor. She watched both of their faces closely. Gill looked down at his feet, trying to ignore Aiden's painfully obvious glare.

"Okay…." Gill muttered.

"But you said they'd be here. You said you saw them come over here!" She shouted.

"Would ya shut up?! I know what I said, and they're not here! I can see that!" Gill yelled back, even getting Aiden to flinch at his yelling voice which was louder than his speaking tone, which was usually pretty loud. He groaned out loud, rubbing his forehead when Maya began to sniffle and cry, something none of them were in the mood for. "Seriously, stop crying, Maya." He commanded sternly, though quietly. She whimpered, wiping away tears as she tried to stop crying. Gill watched her for a few more seconds before giving a soft sigh. "Okay, I'm sorry for yelling at you. Now stop crying." He told her irately, glad to hear her gradually coming to a stop, though not showing it through the stern glare he gave. The three of them stood in silence, Aiden glaring at the floor and keeping to himself while Maya stared at Gill, her loud sniffling the only sound being audible other than Gill's soft footsteps as he looked around the building.

"They can't have just disappeared…." He muttered to himself, trying to shut out the dark confirmations of his statement. He didn't have time to go down _that_ what-if trail.

It was hard to make out the walls and protruding structures of the dark-colored, torchless interior, and he walked slowly to avoid stumbling over some unseen object.

Feeling around the smooth surface of the walls, he tried to find some extra door or something. Maybe they were hiding in the basement! If the room had a basement, that is….

His back bumped into something that felt like part of the wall and he turned around, seeing a tall pillar of obsidian sticking out of the stone floor. He rushed around to its front, seeing an obsidian gate he was quite familiar with and pleased to see.

"I think I know where they went." He said.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Oh, poor, poor Maya. D: So, how'd you guys like this? Things are going to start getting interesting in the near future, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! Bye! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	7. A Hot Topic

**Heya, guys! Welcome to another episode of Minecraft: Ocelot Mode! Before we get started, I'd like to apologize for the delay of this story, TRR and TCoaL. Long story short, my computer broke down and I couldn't access anything online. But in the future if this (just this) story doesn't get its Sunday update, chances are something broke. Just check me out on Wattpad (I'm GamerwhogamesWatts) and I should have an update there. Other than that, I've got writer's block. So, that aside, hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

"The Nether? They went to the freaking Nether?!" Maya shouted as she and Aiden gawked at the portal while Gill curiously inspected it.

"Seems like they did." Gill said, beginning to wonder why the portal was turned off. Maybe it was turned off to keep the Wither out?

"Seems like _suicide_." Maya said, glancing at Aiden to see his reaction. Instead of the pain and irritability she had seen on him earlier, she could see anxiety and fear in his darting eyes and fast, shallow breathing. Instead of waiting to catch his gaze and annoying him because of it, she turned to watch Gill as he felt around the portal frame.

"Does anyone have a flint-and-steel?" He asked. Aiden angrily snapped his head to Gill as if to question his sanity at that moment while Maya gaped with horror.

"If I had one you would _not_ be getting it! None of us are going in there! We've never been!" She shouted in a shaky voice.

"But Petra goes there all the time and she comes back fine!"

"Yeah, because she's _Petra_. She does that kind of thing. And she usually doesn't go with a twisted ankle."

"But you said your foot was fine! And don't we need to fond Lukas?" Gill argued. The two of them had almost completely forgotten their voiceless friend Aiden who stood with annoyance as the "couple" bickered.

"Of course we do! _"_

"So we have to go in there! We should at least check for any sign of them." He told her. She sent him an annoyed frown as she folded her arms. "It'll be fine, Maya. Petra only ever runs into trouble because she _looks_ for it. We don't have much to worry about if we're quiet." He said, hoping to ease her nerves some.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Petra said the only hostile mobs are hard to find. The other one isn't hostile unless you hit it. It's a kind of..." He tried to think of a word to describe the creature he was thinking of, "Some kind of zombie-pig hybrid. It's almost completely harmless! I'll be fine, Maya."

"What do you mean 'I'll be fine'? We're sticking together. We have to. I just wish we didn't have to go here." She said, standing with her arms still folded.

"I know, but we won't stay in there for too long." He said, feeling around his pockets as he spoke. "So, you have a flint and steel?" He asked. She shook her head. Gill noticed Aiden standing quietly near the door, holding his cast in one hand as he shifted nervously. "Aiden, didn't you grab a flint-and-steel from the house?" He asked. Aiden's nervous, green eyes met with Gill's firm, black ones. Aiden's fearful gaze hardened into a defensive scowl as he thrust his good hand into his pocket.

The metal and the stone clinked in his hand when he yanked it out. He walked to the portal, rudely brushing past Gill instead of placing the flint in his opened hand.

He stood at the foot of the portal, the tall, black frame looking over his small stature. Hearing Gill shuffle beside him, Aiden turned his head, giving him a long, demeaning, cold glare. As Gill quickly stepped backwards, Aiden turned to face the door again. Unable to growl or to make a sour remark, he knelt in front of the portal to light it, hissing at the stinging soreness that laced up his sore body.

Holding the cool, smooth flint in his left hand, he slipped the cold iron into his right. Momentarily, he grimaced as he realized that his right hand was his striking-hand. He quickly switched hands before giving the two items a soft, slow rub before striking them together. Sparks shot from the lighter and the portal warped to life! They heard a strange, rolling pulse and quiet, ghostly ghast cries coming from the purple gateway.

Aiden slowly rose to his feet, sending his two friends a determined glare.

"I'll go first." He croaked making both of them give him a shocked, wide-eyed look.

"But your arm's broken." Maya reminded him. He rolled his eyes, wishing they would stop thinking that a broken arm wasn't the end of the world for him.

Nervously taking in a nervous puff of air, he braced himself and walked into the misty, purple wall.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the short update, anyways. I wanted to get this out ASAP for someone on Wattpad and my hands got tired out. But I'm able to be online again, so next update should be around 2K words. Tell me what you guys thought about the chapter, though. I'd love to hear your feedback! Well, close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (close it)**


	8. Into Hell

**Author's Note:**

 **Heya, world! And welcome to another episode of MCOM! Today our lovely protagonists shall search the Nether for clues! Will there be romance? Yes. Will there be suspense? Uh, yeah…? Will there be words?... okay, enough with those questions. Onto some reviews!**

 **RapidSammi: Hiya! Be nervoucited no more, for chapter eight is here! (also, ANFO's getting updates if you were wondering!)**

 **Emily the Avenger: Hey! Glad you like this story so much, and thanks for all the good spam on my other stories! Enjoy this chapter!**

 **HIT IT, CRISPER!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

After the disorienting walk from one dimension to another, Aiden flinched when he met face to face with a zombie-pigman. The strange, rotting creature gave a low squeal that sounded more like a dead man's groan than anything and made Aiden cringe fearfully.

He feebly tried to push the slimy zombie out of his way, but the instant he reluctantly touched the monster's dying skin it suddenly reached out, grabbing his arm. Aiden yelped in fear and the pigman's groans rumbled in response..

Aiden tried to rip his arm from the creature's unsurprisingly strong hold, but an ironic twist of fate sent him toppling over right on top of it. He hoarsely cried out as his lips slammed onto the pigman's snout in a crushing embrace.

He screamed in pain as his arm snapped under his weight and he rolled off the squealing, flailing pigman and onto his back. He panted heavily, coughing and gagging as the pigman's nasty smell lingered in his face.

He sat up and saw Gill, who had just walked through the portal, staring down at him with a surprised, wide-eyed stare on his bearded face. Aiden glared confusedly as Gill looked at him, then at the pigman, then back at him as he processed the strange scene.

"Dude… no way!" He shouted before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Aiden croaked as Gill continued laughing wildly to his annoyance.

"Your first kiss… and you had it with a pigman!" He guffawed, making Aiden groan in frustration as Gill wiped away joyous tears. "At first I thought you didn't wanna come here, but now I see just how much you _love_ this place!" He roared. Aiden sat up prepared to give a comeback, however voiceless it would be. But his angered face turned worried when Gill's bellowing turned into violent hacking that honestly scared Aiden.

"Are you okay?" Aiden asked as Gill's coughing died down. Breathing heavily, Gill nodded. Aiden studied his tired face and saw the pain and wornness in his black eyes

A few seconds later, Maya walked out of the purple portal, clamping her arms to herself in fear. She instantly sighed in relief when she saw Aiden and Gill in one piece.

"Okay, we're all together." She said to herself before noticing the ugly, disgusting creature lying a block or two away from Aiden. She shrieked, jumping right behind Gill who flinched at her sudden action. "What _is_ that?" She whimpered as she hid behind Gill.

"It's one of those pigmen I told you about." Gill said in a slightly raspy voice. He sent Aiden a smug, knowing grin. "Aiden should know." Gill added teasingly, slightly amused when Aiden huffed in annoyance. Aiden sent the pigman an annoyed glare. He flinched when the pigman squealed loudly in terror before scrambling to its feet and rushing away from Aiden. Gill snickered a bit and Aiden was glad that Maya only looked around cluelessly.

Aiden stood up, gazing around at the dark, looming walls of the Nether. As he walked, he noticed the scarred, blood-red Netherrack. He hadn't seen a stone like it in his life! He cautiously neared the edge of the cliff they stood on, feeling small and vulnerable as he peered over the edge at the broiling, orange lava ocean. When he looked down seeing how high off the next level they were, he instantly backed away.

Feeling lightheaded, he rushed back to Maya and Gill, feeling his head starting to hurt a bit more.

"So, now what?" He heard Maya ask as he walked over to where she and Gill stood by the portal. He glared at Gill, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"I guess we look for a lead, then." He said after giving the idea a speedy, unsure thought.

Aiden gave Gill a dirty, threatening look. Gill hesitantly stared back while Maya nervously watched both of them. Seeing Aiden standing stubbornly and with no signs of speaking, Gill broke the stare and quietly cleared his throat.

"Unless if you had _another_ plan, we could…." His voice trailed off as Aiden kept his eyes fixed on Gill's face, noticing the beads of sweat forming on Gill's forehead and his shaky arms which he chose to ignore. He knew if they were ever going to have a chance at Lukas, they needed to look. But was it really worth it?

He briefly tried to think of another way to get around the situation, trying to ignore the sound of Gill's heavy breathing.

Aiden reluctantly bit the bullet and silently walked off, glaring at the Netherrack underneath his shoes.

Maya watched Aiden with a worried frown before looking back at Gill who was watching him as well.

"Are you okay?" She asked him with a concerned frown as she noticed the sweat building up on his forehead. Giving a delayed response, he gave a her a small, unconvincing smile as he quickly wiped away some of the sweat.

"I'm okay, I guess. It's just… really hot." He said.

"But you're not even wearing your jacket and you look hotter than Aiden! He's got _two_ jackets! Plus, you're shaking and-"

"It's alright, Maya. I'm _fine_." He told her impatiently making her shy down.

"Okay… I'm gonna go see if Aiden's okay. I don't think he should be walking by himself without being able to call for help." She said. He nodded with a warm grin, placing a hand on he shoulder.

"Alright, then." He said, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze before walking off as she did the same.

When he left, Maya quickly rushed over to Aiden's side, unable to bear being alone for even a second. in that eerie, frightening dimension.

"Hey, Aiden." She said when she caught up with him. He acknowledged her with an annoyed, deadpan stare before looking away from her. Minutes into their silent walk she began to wish she was back with Gill because then at least she'd have someone to chat with. But knowing Aiden needed a voice with him she reluctantly limped along with him.

'So, I was thinking when we get back to the regular world we should get you some water. Isn't your throat still hurting?" She asked him. She glanced at him when he ignored her. "Okay, then…." She muttered quietly as she looked away. "Yeah, let's not talk about that… why don't we talk about something normal, like…." Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of something that had nothing to do with their problems at the moment.

POV Switch

"How about cake? Cake is… good… I like it." She said. Aiden decided to let her talk. As annoying as that was, it _was_ good to hear about something normal and even remotely pleasant.

Instead of listening to her, he decided to interest himself in other things. His gaze slowly shifted from the red rocks to her feet and he noticed she was walking with a considerable limp.

Within seconds, his attention went from her limp to something more visually pleasing than a limp: Her legs themselves. He studied her long, slender pins as she walked and chattered, his boredom growing less and less as he admired her graceful figure. His eyes trailed up to her hips, her talking completely inaudible to him as he ignored her. Soon, his entranced eyes traveled from her hips up to her chest.

"Aiden, what are you looking at?" She suddenly asked in a slightly accusing tone that made Aiden quickly look away from her chest and to the floor. He could feel her blue eyes burning into his temple but he dared not return the stare. "Aiden." She said firmly, causing him to chance her a brief look before gesturing to her legs.

"You were looking at my legs?" She asked displeased by his answer. He instantly shook his head, trying to seem as shocked and innocent as he could before pointing again to her limbs. He uttered a few words and she sent him a confused look, unable to make out his hushed reply. He sped up a bit, walking closely by her side before stopping her completely. He leaned into her and cupped her ears with his hand, his lips centimeters from her ear.

"You're limping. Are you okay?" He whispered, pulling away from her. When Maya glanced at him he couldn't help but give a satisfied grin, that made her hesitantly look away.

"I'm… I'm fine, Aiden." She muttered. Aiden gave a muted chuckle when she awkwardly walked on. He followed her as she walked past him, staring at the ground instead of her legs. But he should've instead kept his attention on his surroundings instead of his feet!

He gave a silent scream when something hard and metallic slammed into his shin making him fall into a box of some sort. The pain shooting through his entire body made him nearly deaf to Maya's shriek as she rushed to him and tugged on his leg. He groped around the interior of the box with his good hand and, with Maya's pulling him as an aid, pushed himself out back onto his feet.

Panting to catch his breath, he stared at the minecart he had fallen into. He felt Maya by his side, staring at it as well.

"Well… think this counts as a lead?" She asked rhetorically. Aiden smirked, leaning into her ear again.

"Yup." He said.

"Maya! Aiden!" Both of them turned around and saw Gill tottering towards them, breathing heavily. "Gill, you look terrible!" Maya said, nearly shouting at him. Aiden looked Gill over, seeing the dark spots on his navy-blue and white striped shirt. Even the white stripe going down the middle was visibly stained with cold sweat. As he stood, Aiden was sure even Maya saw his shivering however well he was trying to hide it.

"I'm fine, Maya." He said with a faltering voice. "It's just… really hot. But I heard you scream…." He cleared his throat, wiping some more sweat from his forehead. "What happened?" He asked, successfully making his voice sound slightly stronger and healthier.

"We…." Maya's voice trailed off and she frowned at Gill. He gave her a confused, annoyed look, impatiently gesturing with his arms to tell her to speak. "Gill, you're not fi-"

"Girl, I'm fine! Now tell me what happened to you!" He suddenly snapped, making her go quiet.

"Aiden fell into a minecart." She said quietly, looking at her feet as she spoke.

"A minecart?" He asked.

"Yeah… we were thinking it could probably be a lead." She added as he walked past them to the cart. He grabbed the warm, metal frame with his hands as he studied it.

"Maybe there are rails nearby." He muttered to himself. Aiden couldn't help but give a small, hopeful grin. Maybe Gill _was_ right about coming down here.

While Gill continued to hypothesize about the others' whereabouts, Aiden quietly slipped away from them and the cart and decided to do some exploring on his own, this time paying much attention to the scenery around him.

He walked until he found a large bridge spanning what looked like the entire length of the red and orange ocean. Fighting the dizziness and fear the intimidatingly large expanse brought, he ventured further towards the bridge, a smile spreading across his face when he saw the top of the bridge was lined with tracks.

Giving a gravelly, giddy laugh he ran the short distance back to Maya and Gill who hadn't gone anywhere.

"Find something?" Gill asked when Aiden ran to them smiling wildly. Aiden plopped to his knees and nearly knocked Gill's head off when he pulled Gill's head to his mouth.

"I think you're right. I found some tracks over there." He whispered, making Gill give a thigh-slapping laugh.

"Told you they probably came down here!" He shouted, standing to his feet with more vigor than they'd seen him with since they'd entered the Nether. He rather quickly stood to his feet, using the minecart as an aid, before pushing it off its track.

As Maya watched Gill push the minecart onto the tracks, she suddenly realized something important.

"Guys… there's only one minecart and there's three of us, so…." Her voice trailed off. Aiden's eyes widened in surprise and he sent Gill a disgusted grimace. Gill glanced at him for a second, immediately irritated by his rude, accusing stare.

"What?!" He barked soon after realizing the nature of Aiden's grossed out face.

"Nevermind." Aiden whispered as he quickly looked away. Gill groaned in frustration and Maya didn't know if it was because of Aiden or the fact that they only had one minecart… she guessed it was Aiden.

"Well, we're gonna have to squeeze in, I guess." He said with dismay. Maya frowned nervously, glancing with wide eyes at Aiden who stared at the floor with annoyance.

Gill checked the minecart once more, making sure the wheels were securely in the track's ridges. "Well, everybody pile in." He said reluctantly. "Aiden, ladies first." He told the brunette, gesturing to the cart when neither of them moved. Aiden glared furiously. "Do you want your arm to get crushed by both of us or not?" Gill asked, making Maya snicker nervously. Not making a peep, Aiden walked to the minecart and sat in the front.

"You next, Maya." Gill said. Aiden scooted further into the front, his heart racing a bit when he felt himself moving the minecart closer to the edge. He bit his lip when Maya grasped his right shoulder, sending a sharp pain through his torso that made him want to jump out the minecart and scream. He felt like the floor was about to drop from underneath him and send him into the sea of fire when Maya fully stepped into the cart, pushing it even closer to the edge.

He felt her grab his neck as she tried to push her legs forward some so they weren't pressed against his back. When she was finished adjusting herself, he found himself squashed in her lap in what had to be one of the weirdest positions he'd ever assumed in his life.

He cringed in pain as he noticed his legs pressed firmly against the front of the small minecart, trying to focus on his knees rather than the fiery hell directly beneath them.

"Alright, Gill, your turn." Maya said behind him, making his eyes widen in horror. In a word, Gill was beefy. This was not good.

When he felt the minecart shaking, he knew it was it. Gill was going to _crush_ his already battered, broken body and that was how Aiden's life was going to end.

When Gill lodged himself into the cart, Aiden felt himself getting squished even further into the front of the seat as if there was any room left there. But when he felt the minecart move forwards _yet again_ he was glad that he was pressed up against someone, even if it was entirely awkward and mischievously enjoyable.

"Ready, guys?" Gill asked. Aiden turned around and looked past Maya's head, seeing Gill about to throw an iron ingot at something. Looking in the direction of Gill's throw, he saw a switch a short way off. Quickly realizing that they were on powered rails, he gulped and declared his answer in a rather clear voice.

"Hell no." Taking only a second to forgive the unintended pun, Gill raised his arm. Aiden turned around and clamped his eyes tightly shut, trying to ignore the headache he was getting. He heard a small whoosh of air as Gill threw the piece of metal. "Oh god, we're dead!" He hoarsely shouted, hearing the metal collide with something.

"Aiden, calm down. I missed." He heard Gill say. He screamed internally, gripping the front of the minecart with his good, sweaty hand and his heart raced. His heart pumped even faster when he felt Maya's slender arms wrap tightly around his waist as she rested her head on his back. She gave him a strong squeeze and he shut his eyes again, wanting to get the ride over with as soon as possible.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hehe! Another chapter! So, how'd you guys like the slight AidenXMaya? Please, oh please, let me know if the shipping isn't slow-burn enough. I don't like reading rushed ships so much, so lemme know if I'm going too fast! Other than that, if there was another part of the story you liked (or didn't like), leave a review! I appreciate feedback! Well, g'bye! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	9. Death-Rollercoaster

**Author's Note:**

 **Heya, and welcome to the next chapter of MC:OM! Hope you're ready for some more fun and stuff. Reviews!**

 **RapidSammi: Thanks! I had lots of fun typing that part with the whispering and such!**

 **Emily The Avenger: Me too! I've never written any Aidassie, but I like the ship! Who knows? I might write some one day!**

 **Well, let's go to hell with Aiden, Maya and Gill!**

 **Crisper: 0.0**

 **Me:… Y'know, that sounded rather dark… this is probably why Notch calls it "The Nether"… um… just hit it.**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

Aiden's heart swelled with fear when the powered-rails sent the minecart zooming over the lake of fire. His eyelids were clamped shut almost and he gripped the front of the minecart so hard that he couldn't feel his fingers. He could only feel Maya's arms wrapped tightly around his incredibly queasy stomach with her head resting on his back.

The minecart rolled on for a few minutes before he timidly opened his eyes, not surprised—and much less pleased—to see that they were still riding over lava.

"When is It gonna be over?" He complained in a raspy whisper.

"Hmm?" Maya asked from behind. He felt her sit up.

"It's nothing." He said, forcing his voice out so that she'd hear him. Suddenly, the minecart teetered to the side as it rounded a corner. Maya shrieked into Aiden's back, squeezing his chest and his broken arm. The pain coupled with the nauseating fear made him give a hoarse cry that was nowhere near as loud as Gill's.

When the cart finally stopped leaning, Aiden dragged a hand over his sweaty face and breathed a loud groan of relief. He didn't know if he was sweating more so because of the heat or the intense fear.

At the back of the minecart, Gill tried to squirm as little as possible to relieve the stinging pain in his ankle. Maya was sitting right on top of his foot, but as much as he wanted to shift into a more comfortable spot, he didn't want to be the one to push himself and his friends to a hot, untimely death.

After a few minutes of trying in vain, he let out a weary sigh and gave up. The rim of the metal cart dug into his lower back. He forced himself to sit still and bear the pain. As he wiped away a thick sheet of sweat from his forehead, he felt Maya's shivering body sitting between his legs.

His eyes caught on the back of her short, brown hair as she hid her face in Aiden's jacket. With tired, fearful eyes she gazed into space. Her trembling was mild, but uncontrollable to say the least. He glanced down at his hands in his lap, wishing they were holding her in his arms instead of sweating crazily.

Every now and then, she would shift just a bit, wrapping her arms around Aiden's torso like he was her protector, a role Gill was envious to play. He wanted her to depend on him, but how could he with Aiden currently in the way? That was _Gill's_ place to take! _He_ should've been sitting there with Maya clinging onto him for security and comfort.

But as much as he wanted to be her guardian angel shielding her from hell's flames, he didn't feel like he could stand up against the women's man, Aiden. In truth, Aiden was always a bit catchier than he was. His charming, cool, nimble ways always shed a dark shadow on Gill's slight clumsiness, amplified by his awkward height. Sometimes he wondered if Maya thought of him as the loud, annoying goon others compared him to.

His disappointed glare shifted into a sad frown for Maya. Seeing her so fearful, despite seeing her so confident in someone else, made him feel a flash of compassion and… dizziness?

He suddenly felt like his head was about to float right off his shoulders. He emitted a quiet moan as he tried to rub the lightheadedness out of his temples.

"Did you say something, Gill?" Maya asked. He quickly removed his hands from his head as he and Maya caught eyes. Maya's were sparkling with unshed tears. Gill slightly shook his head no, instantly regretting it when he suddenly felt like he was rolling in space.

Little drops of sweat tickled his face as they rolled down, and Gill hoped Maya wouldn't notice. But she watched him with a worried frown. Her lips quivered before she completely hid her face into Aiden's jacket, biting her lip. Once her stare was off him, he wiped the sticky sweat off his forehead.

"Maya, I'm fine." He breathed, shutting his eyes as another dizzy-spell racked his body. Suddenly, he felt exhaustion clasping around his lungs, making him feel out of breath. He sighed deeply, and the breathlessness was gone.

Maya heard Gill's loud sigh from behind. Was he really that upset with her? She hadn't meant to annoy him so much, but even Aiden knew there was something wrong with him. The abnormal sweating, the feverish shaking and worst of all: The silence.

Gill was only loud and talkative when he was yelling at her or telling Aiden what to do. She tried to tell herself that this was only natural; they _were_ looking around the Nether for their possibly dead friend. But she still found it off that, besides that, he didn't say a word. When he wasn't barking commands, his voice was too quiet to be his own. It just wasn't like him, even in this circumstance.

She, Gill, and probably Aiden, shouted in surprise when the minecart suddenly titled backwards, beginning to climb a hill of tracks. They slid to the back of the cart and Aiden's weight pushed her onto Gill who had to bear the weight of both.

Her heart raced and she tried to focus on the road ahead instead of the firestorm below. Though she felt squashed between the two boys, her chest pumped strongly between them as her hands trembled. Though she wanted to ask why they were going upwards, she knew that none of them would be able to answer. Either way, her voice was stuck in her dry throat.

As the minecart peaked the hill, Maya felt Aiden's good hand squeezing down on hers as he curled into a ball in front of her. As the minecart straightened, she straightened her back some to glance over his shoulders. She felt vomit floating up her throat as she stared down at the steep drop they were about to take.

She emitted a strangled cry as the minecart dropped from under her. She and the others grasped onto the sides of the cart to keep from floating up as it rattled down the rollercoaster of death!

Maya and Gill screamed in terror as hot, smoky air whooshed past them. Aiden, instead of screaming, grasped Maya's arm with all his might, crouching so low that he was almost hiding behind the minecart.

The cart hit the bottom of the seat with a crashing, sudden slam that sent Aiden's forehead smashing into the minecart. The minecart zoomed across the rails with speed that made Maya's short hair whip her cheeks and fly wildly around.

Aiden clamped a hand over his forehead and left eye, unable to scream in pain like he so desperately wanted to. He felt a warm liquid spilling down his face, but before he could guess what it was he suddenly rammed against the side of the cart as it rounded a very sharp corner.

Maya gave a horrified, earsplitting scream as the cart began to lean off the rails.

"Guys, lean to the right!" Gill screamed frantically. He rocked himself to the side and the others did same, making the cart settle with a metallic bang. They kept leaning until the rails straightened.

But just as they began to think they were finally safe, a loud, meow-like cry hummed through the air. The noise sent shivers and shakes up the riders' spines. Maya forced herself to turn her head and her terrified scream stuck in her throat when she saw the huge Ghast quickly floating towards them.

As they stared back in fear, the Ghast's tiny, bright-red eyes flew open and it screamed, sending a fireball shooting right towards them!

"Go faster! Go faster! Go faster!" Maya screamed, cowering behind her hands. There was a deafening explosion when the fire-charge hit the tracks. They all screamed when the shockwave sent the cart barreling down the tracks, going faster than it ever had before! The Ghast gave another horrendous "meow" as it gave chase to the cart of screaming people.

The white jellyfish-monster followed them, and the cart began to slow down. Within seconds, however, the cart rolled over a powered-rail and the Ghast gave up when it zoomed out of sight!

Gill looked behind them and saw the Ghast floating idly over the tracks with shut eyes. Then he saw that the rails they'd just been on seconds ago were completely destroyed! Burnt slabs of wood and iron fell from the massive gap and into the lava below.

'That could've been us!' He thought to himself. Guilt washed over him as he thought that. While it was great that they were maybe a step closer to finding Lukas, he knew that if anyone had gotten hurt during the "ride of death", he would be to blame whether he wanted it or not.

He looked ahead and saw the tracks were coming to an end at the second station. He shut his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to let calmness overtake him as their ride came to an end.

The cart clattered to a stop. Gill pushed himself out before reaching to get Maya. He took hold of her trembling arm and pulled her out while she stared dully at the Nether's walls.

When Maya stood, her legs felt like noodles and she thought she was going to faint. She uttered a tiny whimper before she faltered onto Gill's chest.

"Maya!" Gill gave a quiet, startled shout when she fell on him unexpectedly.

But Maya didn't hear him and lay on his chest, breathing slowly as he held her from collapsing to the floor. She couldn't place a finger on the reason—she couldn't place a whole hand on anything—but just being near him gave her a strong sense of comfort. Gill moved his strong hands from her tiny arms to her back, pulling her into an even warmer embrace. She let out a shaky, exhausted sigh and closed her eyes.

A soft groan caught their attention and they both looked to see Aiden was just getting his bearings. But with his broken arm in the bulky cast and his other hand clamped over his eye, he didn't have a way to get out.

"Aiden, you okay?" Gill asked. Aiden hissed in pain, pulling his hand away from his eye. He blinked at the sight of blood staining his palm reddish-orange. He cringed at the pain, as well as the sight of blood staining the edge of the cart.

"Yeah, just a cut." He said as he pushed himself out of the cart. He stood and stretched himself before walking to them. He stopped to glance at Maya, giving her a confused, worried look. He walked to Gill, standing on his toes a bit to whisper into his ear. "Is she okay?" He asked, quickly pulling away to get a closer look at the stunned girl. He unconsciously placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know. I think she's…." Gill suddenly stopped, his eyes widening. Aiden eyed him suspiciously, turning up his nose.

"Shocked?"

"Yeah, hold her for a sec." Gill quickly pushed Maya onto Aiden and ran a few blocks off. With Maya slung lazily onto his chest like a floppy puppy, Aiden watched Gill run off. But he quickly turned away when Gill doubled over, retching loudly. Aiden slowly looked down, relieved to see Maya's gaze locked in the other direction.

"Maya," He whispered into her ear. She didn't budge. He shook her lightly, whispering her name again before she slowly looked at him. "Maya, are you okay?" He asked. She fluttered the tears away from her glassy eyes and gazed into his face.

"Your eye's hurt." She said almost starkly. Aiden pulled back when she reached her fingers to the bleeding gash across his eyebrow. He gently grabbed her hand, resting it on his shoulder.

"It's just a cut." He gently rubbed her hand with his thumb, staring into her sea-blue eyes. Her eyes moved to his chest and she suddenly leaned into him.

Gill tottered back over to them after a few minutes, panting quickly as he tried to catch his breath. Maya pulled away from Aiden and stumbled to Gill.

"Gill, are you okay?" She asked. He only gave her a tiny nod. She didn't dare mention his pale, sweaty face or harsh breathing. He sighed deeply and straightened his neck to look at them.

"The exit-portal might be over here somewhere… Let's get out of here."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So happy to be getting back with you guys! Lately, schools' been an issue for me so I haven't been in front of the keyboard. I was going to get back to work, eventually, but I'd like to give a special thank-you to someone who gave me an extra dose of 'Get Off Your Butt'! Her name is** **ninokuni789 and she's from Wattpad! She wrote an entire chapter in her book "Sturff" dedicated to my story and what she liked about it! Thanks for the appreciation, as well as the fuel!**

 **Well, close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	10. Cold and Hot

**Author's Note:**

 **Hey, everyone! It's me, the Gamerwhogames! And welcome back to "Minecraft: Ocelot Mode"! But before we start, I have a bit of news:**

 **I'm changing the rating of this story to T. I thought K+ was fine, at first, but I'm changing it so I can do more with the shipping and still feel comfortable. But before doing this, I checked out the profiles and stories of you registered readers. Most of you guys read and write rated T stories, so I don't think the rating change will be a problem.**

 **So, let's take some reviews!**

 **Ariza Luca: Wow! Thank you! I hope you like this chapter, too.**

 **RappidSammi: Well, have some more happiness! (throws buckets of happiness around)**

 **Emily The Avenger: Thanks! Your "Everyone is dying" just made me laugh so much! It makes me want to do the whole song!**

 **Well, that's it. Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

After a few minutes of limping and wandering, Aiden, Maya and Gill finally made it to the portal. A way out of the fiery heat. One step closer to finding Lukas. When they arrived, all three of them were hunched over and panting like a pack of tired wolves. 'Sweaty Dogs' was a far better name for them than 'Ocelots'.

Gill looked at the portal, ignoring the large beads of sweat rolling down his face. "Let's go, guys." He croaked. He straightened his sore back and walked to the purple, glowing warp. One after the other, they walked out of the Nether. The Overworld met them with a cool breeze and a surprising splash of water. None of them expected to fall into a pond on the other side of such a hot, hellish place. But none of them cared how out-of-place it seemed.

"Man, this is nice!" Gill shouted, floating backside-down in the water like a happy, tired otter. He shut his eyes to relish the moment, but before he knew it, he was snoring quietly.

As Maya slowly swam around the lake, a cool breeze blew, bringing the earthy smell of the surrounding oak trees to her nose. Her head followed the sound of birds tweeting and flying through the trees and around the white, rocky mountainside. The noonday sun warmed the top of her head while the clear water chilled the rest of her body. However beautiful her surroundings were, she wanted to know where they were and, more importantly, how far away from home they were.

"Hey, guys, where are we?" She asked quietly as she swam over to Gill. His face was the only thing above the water, and his eyes were closed. Maya shook him gently. " _Gill,_ wake up." She made his head dip underwater and he instantly shot up in surprise, spluttering and gasping. Maya sat quietly, watching with guilt in her eyes. Gill turned and faced her, a look of fear and shock on his wet face.

"What?! What's happening?" He shouted in a strained, muggy voice.

"Where are we?" She asked quietly. Gill gave a short look around.

"Um… I don't know…?"

"Does it matter?" A quiet voice sounded from beside him. They both saw Aiden wading over to them in the waist-high pool. "I mean, for now." He sat beside Gill, looking him straight in the eye.

Gill sent Aiden a piercing glare. "Of _course_ , it matters. Why wouldn't it?"

"But does it matter _now_ , I mean. I was thinking we could take a break or something." Aiden saw a muscle twitch in Gill's neck, the bearded man's glare hardening. His scowl made Aiden give a defensive look. "What? What did I do?"

"We're _not_ taking a break. Do you realize how close we could be to finding Lukas? It hasn't even been a whole _day_ yet, and you're already asking for a break?!"

"Well, my bad. It's been a freaking _long_ twelve hours, then." Aiden tried to match the intensity of Gill's voice the best he could with his still-shredded throat. "We all need a break, Gill. It took you _ten seconds_ to pass out right there. We're all tired."

"No, _you're_ tired! But _we_ , on the other hand," he slung an arm around Maya's shoulders, jerking her close, "Are doing _fine_."

"Oh, please. Doing that cute "couples" thing again. Just stop, okay? You two don't agree on _everything_ , you know. She's tired, see?" Blood pounded through Gill's veins as he slowly faced Maya. She instantly looked away. Guilt mingled with tiredness and shock was in her heavy-lidded eyes. "Thirty minutes." Aiden's bold voice caught Gill's attention, making him send a weak glare. "Is half an hour going to kill anyone?"

"No."

"Didn't think so."

Gill heaved a sigh, taking his arm off Maya and standing to his feet. Maya watched him stretch his arms and back. "I'm taking a nap." He barked, walking over to the shade of a nearby tree. He sprawled out on the coarse, green grass. His troubled frown quickly faded as he drifted off seconds later.

Aiden's glare softened and he turned to look at Maya. She glanced at him, anger darkening her face, before she quickly looked away.

"What? You too?" He muttered under his breath.

"'Me too' what? You know, your voice is getting _clearer_ , in case you didn't notice."

"You're glaring at me!"

"Well, maybe if you'd stop _ogling_ me, you wouldn't notice!" Heat flashed to Aiden's cheeks as he stared with disbelief.

"Okay, I was _not_ ogling you."

Maya stood and walked away, leaving Aiden alone in the pond. With every step she took, he could feel the anger rising in him. Thirty minutes to rest, and this was the kind of thanks he was getting. Estrangement, the cold shoulder, and outrageous accusations. Maya walked over to Gill and took a seat next to his sleeping body. Aiden's nose twitched and he folded his arms, or _arm_ since the other was already folded. His body dipped into the water as he tried to take his mind off Maya. And Gill. And everything.

 _So much for a break,_ he thought.

Maya watched Gill's soppy shirt rise and fall with each slow breath he took. His snores reminded her of a cat's purrs. If that cat was an angry lion with a cold. She began to wonder if he would've been better off, and quieter, sleeping face-down instead of on his back. When his snoring got too loud to bear, she sent him an annoyed frown and scooted a few inches away from him.

She looked across the small field and to the pond where she could only see Aiden's brown hair above the water. Her soft fingers clenched into tough fists as she imagined his green, greedy eyes jetting up and down her body as if she didn't notice. His confused, shocked stare wasn't going to make her second-guess anything. She wasn't going to play along to his little 'innocence' game.

Ever since they searched around for the minecart in the Nether, she felt—knew—that Aiden was doing everything he could to get needlessly close to her. He wasn't even hiding it! Remembering his bold approaches and lingering stares gave her chills. Or was that just her wet clothes in the cold breeze?

She began to take off her soggy jacket, her eyes fixed on Gill. _He must be freezing!_ Deciding she could do without the jacket, she peeled it off and placed it over Gill's chest like a small blanket. It sat idly on his chest, too small to cover his legs or arms. The more Maya stared at it, the less effective it seemed.

"Oh, he's probably colder!" She fussed, taking the jacket off. She placed a gently hand across his chest, making sure he wasn't too wet or cold. A frown spread across her face and her lips parted in fear as she held the back of her hand against his shirt.

He was nowhere _near_ cold.

Maya pulled her hand away, staring down at him with a stunned, blank expression on her face. His shirt was damp, but just underneath it his skin was steaming hot! His forehead was shiny and wet with sweat, not water! One side of her was glad that he wasn't awake to tell her he was fine. She knew he was sick, and she didn't need his second opinion on her conclusion.

Maya heard footsteps squishing towards her. She looked up and saw Aiden staring her down, arms clutching himself as he shivered lightly. His brows were furrowed into a defensive frown.

"Are you okay?"

"Aiden, something's wrong with Gill." She suddenly said, ignoring his question.

"What? He's just sleeping."

"No! He's really sick. Feel him." Maya demanded. Aiden gently knelt beside her and scooted closer to Gill's side, careful not to move his broken arm too much. He reached out and cupped Gill's neck with his hand. Seconds later, he pulled away, eyes squinted with uneasiness that tugged at his stomach. Maya's eyes begged him to say something.

Aiden reached out to grab Gill's damp shirt-collar, but hesitated. Would it be better to let him sleep, or to wake him up? _Well, you didn't want to sit around doing nothing in the_ first _place, so…._ He latched onto the collar and started shaking him as much as he could with one arm.

Gill groaned in his sleep, stirring to grab Aiden's arm as his heavy lids slid open. He pushed Aiden's arm away, blinking his eyes to adjust to the bright light. Air hissed between his teeth as he drew in a breath and slowly sat up, confused by Maya and Aiden's worried stares.

"Dude, why're you grabbing my shirt?" He asked groggily, reaching back to rub his sore neck. He glanced around, seeing a blur of vibrant colors and blinding lights that overwhelmed his senses and made his head hurt even more. He quickly shut his eyes, massaging his forehead and wishing he was asleep. "Why'd you wake me up? Is it thirty minutes already?"

"Um… I hope not," Aiden answered as he studied Gill closely. "You're really hot." Gill stopped rubbing his forehead. He squinted his eyes as he studied Aiden's face with disbelief.

"Uh, thanks. You, too." He said slowly. Aiden sent him a sharp glare, clearly not amused by Gill's lame joke.

"Gill, what's wrong with you?" Maya cut in, her voice worrisome. Gill studied her for a moment, and glanced back at Aiden. Aiden stared back with the same concern Maya had, not the humor Gill was hoping for. Gill shifted uneasily, looking away from their probing stares.

"I told you, I'm _fine_. But I _won't_ be if you two worry me to death." He sent them both a stubborn, angry stare. "Well, if thirty minutes _is_ up—"

"It isn't. You need to go back to sleep." Aiden said.

"Yeah, he's right." Maya added timidly.

"Alright, fine then. Just… wake me up in thirty minutes, okay?" Gill asked, lying down and shutting his eyes. Before Aiden could answer, his loud snoring filled their ears. Aiden looked at Maya.

"Okay. He asked me a question, and I didn't answer because he fell asleep too quickly. So, he can't hold me to anything if he wakes up." He suddenly said.

"So?"

"So, we're taking an hour." He said, walking down to the pond. Maya's eyes followed Aiden before they flicked to Gill. "Don't feel guilty. It's for him!" She heard him shout, followed by splashing water as he sank in. His words were right on cue. She walked to the pond as well, hoping a swim would take her mind off Gill's mystery-illness.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Oooh, stuff's going down! Will Gill continue to be a stubborn mule? Will Aiden get any closer to Maya? Will Maya have to chop Aiden's hands off? Find out in the next episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai!**

 **So, how'd you like that little 'I woke you up 'cuz you're hot' joke? I think Aiden would've been much better off saying 'You have a fever', don't you agree? Hope I made you laugh a little on that one!**

 **I'm gonna try to move things along next chapter with some more shipping and drama, so BE PREPARED! (cue singing hyenas)**

 **Fav and follow if you haven't already, and leave reviews! I wanna hear more from you guys out there! And I'll see you next chapter! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	11. Taking a Break

**And after a long break, Gamerwhogames is back and at it, people! I was working on some stuff for you guys (art and new stories!), but now it's time to get back to the publishing table! In response to the reviews, I see everyone enjoyed that awkward moment between Aiden and Gill. That's great! I hope to have more humorous lines in the future for you guys. This story's supposed to be dramatic, but a few laughs can't hurt anything! Well, hit it, Crisper! You know what? Since there is a spider crawling across my wall as I type this (true story) let me hit it for you. In fact….**

 **Let me wham it.**

 **(WHAMS IT!)**

* * *

Maya sank into the cool pond, with a wary sigh. So far, taking a break seemed like a mixture of effectiveness and futility. It was effective because, like Aiden said, it was helping Gill a lot. Or so she hoped. And that's where the futility came in. What was in it for her? Besides a buildup of nervous energy as she worried her head off. She felt like she could clean an entire house. But there were no houses to clean. Everything had been destroyed, including their own home. So much for not worrying about anything.

Aiden glanced at her and saw her worried face. "Don't worry, Maya. Gill's been sick before." Aiden said from where he reclined in the pond, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Yeah, but not _this_ sick." Maya replied, expecting Aiden to say something like that.

Aiden wearily sat up, careful not to move too much. He still felt pretty sore all over. The break wasn't just for Gill. "I know. But worrying's not going to fix anything. Just try to relax. This is the last break we'll probably get for a really long time." He said, looking her in the eye with an expression Maya couldn't read. A mixture of tiredness showed in his eyes and some other emotion, maybe anger or concern.

"Okay." Maya reluctantly said, sinking into the water by a few inches. She felt Aiden's eyes still on her and looked away, hoping he'd get the message that she didn't want to be stared at. She didn't feel any different about his staring now than when he "ogled" her earlier. Or when he tried to get as close to her as possible in the Nether. There was a new, strange pattern in his behavior that she couldn't ignore. But why was he suddenly taking interest in her? And had he completely forgotten about her huge crush on Gill that he always disliked?

"Are you relaxing yet?" Aiden asked casually.

"No." She answered quietly. A pause.

"You think I could help with that?"

Maya felt her heart skip a beat. Or maybe even a few measures. She turned to face him, a stunned expression on her face. "What?!"

Aiden frowned. "Geez, Maya, calm down. It was just a question." He said coolly, making her feel like a fool for giving such a reaction. His frown softened into a grin. "So, can I help you or not?"

"How?" She asked after a short pause.

"How about a swim?" He asked. She couldn't help but to be stunned and quickly looked away, but he persisted. "Please? It's boring out here with nothing to do."

"Well, why can't you swim by yourself, Aiden?"

"Because I want to swim with you, Maya. Please? Pretty please?" He begged jokingly. She sent him a cautious glance, and he took the opportunity to flash her his best puppy eyes and pouty lips. Maya took a moment to consider her options: Sulk around and hope Gill hadn't magically come down with the plague, or swim with an abnormally-acting Aiden who seemed pretty set on her lately. An abnormally-acting Aiden who wasn't going to leave her alone until she said 'yes'.

"Fine. We can swim." She finally said. She heard a rush of water, and she gasped when a strong arm suddenly pulled her into the water. But instead of sinking completely into the cold pond, she landed on something soft and slightly warm. Aiden. A flurry of surprise mingled with anger filled her, along with another feeling she really couldn't explain. Pleasure. There was something about getting attention from Aiden in particular that made her feel… good, warm and fuzzy. Did she like Gill? Yes. Did she care about how he felt? Of course! But did she like this attention? Maybe a bit too much.

Aiden began to float around the pond with Maya on top, staring into her eyes with a smug, yet happy look. You could say they were a ship.

"Aiden, seriously, what are you doing?" She asked, feeling guilty and happy at the same time.

"I'm trying to get you to stop worrying about Gill over there. And I think it's working."

"Yeah, you've got that right." She muttered to herself. Aiden slowed to a stop, standing up in the water and holding her inches away from himself.

"What's wrong, Maya? You look kind of upset."

"It's nothing. I just don't feel like swimming right now."

"Why? Still worried about Gill?" He asked almost spitefully.

"No. It's not that."

"Then what is it?" When she didn't answer, he studied her face. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Am I making you feel… uncomfortable?"

Maya suddenly felt shocked timid at his question. "No, actually, you—" He sent her a knowing grin that caught her off guard, making her go quiet.

"You enjoy this, don't you?" He suddenly asked. It shocked her that he had the courage—and audacity—to ask such a question seemingly out of the blue. It only gave a weak clue to his mysterious, new behavior. "You're not comfortable around me because you know I like you." He drew her closer, leering at her as she tried to turn away. "And you like me, too."

She suddenly backed out of his arm, half-grinning and half-scowling. "Pfft, yeah." She forced a chuckle, rolling her eyes. "Gill and I are dating, you know."

"No, you're not." He said and walked closer to her, making her blink in surprise. He cast an arm around her waist again, gazing into her eyes. "And even if you _were_ , that doesn't exactly tie you down to him. Just sayin'." He added with a wink. She wriggled in his grasp, trying to get away.

"Aiden, let go of me! You've been acting so weird all day!" She shouted, accidentally hitting him in his arm. She came down hard and he cried out, tipping backwards. The force Maya used to escape sent her flying backwards and she landed in the cold water with a splash! Goosebumps quickly crawled across her arms as she shivered (she'd taken off her jacket before). She looked up to see Aiden sitting in the water, holding his arm to himself like it was a precious child.

Aiden fought back tears as he clutched his arm to himself, rocking back and forth. He sent Maya a glare, and suddenly the short-lived high was over. Maya's eyes met with his, and she returned the same look before getting up and sloshing away, leaving behind her an awkward-feeling Aiden.

He stared at his legs in the water, trying to process what just happened. But as he tried to think, he looked up and saw the darkening sky. Sunset already? It seemed like the time flew by. Or swam. Wet and steaming at the same time, Aiden walked up the hill where he saw Maya at the side of none other than Gill, who was still sleeping like a dead beet. No, not a _dead_ beet, Aiden flinchingly thought. Dead was the last word any of them wanted to describe him as.

"What do you need, _now_?" Maya snapped, folding her arms and turning away. Aiden rolled his eyes and knelt beside Gill.

"We need to wake him up."

"I thought you said we needed him to sleep."

"I know what I said, Maya." He said, shaking Gill awake. He awoke with his usual snort, but instead of getting right up, like he'd wanted to do before, he pushed Aiden's hand away.

"Ten more minutes." He said, straining to turn onto his side without moving his legs.

"No, it's sunset, Gill. We need to get up and find shelter." Aiden said loudly so Gill would hear him. At the word 'sunset', Gill's eyes flew open and he groggily sat up.

"Sunset?!" He exclaimed, looking at the sky. Maya flinched when Gill suddenly reached out to pop Aiden in the back of his head, nearly making him faceplant on the dirt! "I told you to wake me up in thirty minutes, not thirty _days_!"

"I was _going_ to." Aiden hissed, rubbing his head. Apparently, Gill forgot he'd just been _trampled_ the night before. But apparently that wasn't important. "We need to find shelter before monsters come out. What should we build?"

"How about a house?" Gill asked, sending him a deadpan stare. Aiden turned to send Gill a wittier remark, but he stopped, noticing the slightly purple bags under Gill's eyes. The nap wasn't as helpful as he hoped it would be. In fact, Gill looked a bit worse. He quickly looked away as not to stare.

"Why don't we try to find wood? I saw some trees up there." Maya asked.

"Actually, I was thinking we could just dig into this dirt over here and make a cave-house. It'd be a lot quicker." Aiden suggested.

"Okay. Cave house sounds easiest. We're doing that." Gill said.

"I'll go get wood for a door." Maya said, standing to her feet. "You guys do the digging."

Aiden walked over to the wall and started digging through the dirt. After a few minutes his hand tired out, and he noticed Gill wasn't by his side. "Hey, Gill, I could really use an extra hand right about now. Literally." He shouted over his shoulder. He glanced at his dirt-filled nails and frowned. "Or a shovel would be really nice."

"Hang on." Gill called, his voice a bit raggedy. Aiden waited as Gill limped over to him, straining to keep weight off his injured leg.

"You okay?" Aiden asked when Gill got over to him.

"I'm fine, Aiden. My leg's just really hurting." He answered, straightening and starting to dig.

"Alright, then."

They completed their little dirt house around sunset. They sat mere feet across in its cramped, earthy walls, making a conscious effort to look straight ahead to avoid getting clumps of dirt in their eyes. Maybe there weren't worms and dirt-clumps outside, but the low growl of a zombie and the hiss of a Creeper made them thankful for their tiny, crude living space.

The flint and steel painfully dug into Aiden's thigh and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Think there's enough space for a fire?" Aiden asked. Gill shook his head from his side of the wall. Aiden didn't mind, though. He didn't want to use his hands anyways.

"So, what now?" Maya asked. They both looked to Gill, sitting in the corner with his eyes shut, thinking up another great plan. Until they heard a soft snore.

"I guess that answers the question." Aiden joked, sending her a playful smile. Instead of smiling back, she sent him a scowl and looked away. Despite the three of them having no personal space at all, Aiden still made sure to keep his distance from the still-angry Maya. He shut his eyes to go to sleep, glad to be distancing herself from her anger and everything else. Like the fact that a giant jellyfish-monster was out doing who knows what. Kissing a pig. A zombie-pig. And riding a rollercoaster through a quite literal hell. Aiden shifted into what felt like one of the worst sleeping positions ever, back upright against the dirt walls, legs clutched to his chest, not to mention the bulging sling on his arm. But exhaustion mingled with pain did its work, and he soon found himself asleep.

Maya stared around the dark cave. Soft, blue light streamed through the wooden door, barely illuminating the figure of her friends. If she wanted to sleep, she knew she was going to have to fight her fears and worries until they let her, or tiredness overtook her. She didn't want anything to happen to them, but it seemed fate was doing just that. She felt like she was slowly losing them. She shut her eyes, trying to stop her racing mind from thinking just long enough to let her doze off.

* * *

 **Well, that's that, my friends. Chapter eleven. When I got to writing this, I had to consult a friend about that little Aidaya incident. His (stage) name is BlackPanther, and he gave the scene a little kick. Speaking of that scene, it took a little change on Aiden's character. When I first started writing this Aidya, I wanted to make him subtle and sneaky about his "affections". Now, I think having him all out weird is really working. The question now is how will Maya respond? Now, I'm trying to keep this story adventurous and sometimes funny, but romance will be in here too. I just don't want the story solely based on shipping and romance.**

 **Now, to take a moment to look at your reviews!**

 **Meow Shadow: Aiden would've been far better off just saying Gill had a fever. I think Gill's pretty bold, too. The beard really pulls it, too. And-*catches virtual box of cookies*-Wow! Cookies! Thanks!**

 **Emily The Avenger: Thanks! I know I say this a lot, but I'm really glad you (and others) are liking this story! It's my main reason to keep writing.**

 **NoItsBecky: I cracked up when I managed to pen that joke. I'm glad I kept it in the story!**

 **the indecisive bird: Hold. That. Thought.**

 **Ariza Luca: Glad to make you laugh!**

 **Well, thanks for reading! Leave a review, favorite and follow, if you will. I really appreciate feedback from you guys! Well, that's all, folks! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**

 **WAAAAITT!**

 **There's a poll on my homepage I'd like you guys to take concerning the next stories I plan to write! Which story would you like to see next? Or do you want me to focus on Ocelot Mode and ANFO? Be heard! Take a vote! Thanks!**


	12. Fish

**Hey, guys! And welcome back to Ocelot Mode! I'll just answer these reviews, and you can be off to your reading!**

 **Alice Forshadow: Thanks! Glad to have some Aiden-sympathizers on my side! ;D**

 **the indecisive bird: Glad you think Aiden's weird behavior fits him. I'd hate to have him OOC when he doesn't need to be. Keep holding that thought! Don't let it get away!**

 **RapidSammi: Me too. I wonder….**

 **Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

What time was it? Two in the morning? Three? Midnight? Did it matter? However long it had been, Maya knew she'd spent long enough fighting to sleep and forget her ever-present worries. Or just that _one_ worry. Whenever she shut her eyes, she'd feel herself falling asleep just to jolt awake with fear for Gill. And every time he'd be sleeping peacefully. She jolted awake again, feeling alert at first, then fatigued. She hadn't slept at all. She rubbed her eyes and squinted in the darkness at Gill, expecting to see something horrible. She studied him for a few seconds and, like another side of her expected, he was….

Her eyes widened and her heart flinched. Gill was sitting completely still, not breathing. She frantically crawled across the dirt to his side. She grabbed his arms, her nails digging into his buff arms with desperation and terror. "Gill, wake up!" She pleaded, shaking him as much as she could. He woke up, coughing loudly instead of giving his usual last-snore.

"Maya, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Coughing aside, seeing him alive and hearing his voice made Maya feel both relieved and foolish for waking him up.

"I was just checking on you, making sure you were okay. You can go back to sleep, alright?" She said, faking a smile.

Gill raised an eyebrow at her. "You two are really that worried, aren't you?" He asked quietly.

"Of course, I am!" She hissed loudly.

"Shh," Gill said, pointing a finger in Aiden's direction. He had no idea, but Maya could've cared plenty less about Aiden's sleep, especially when she felt Gill's life was on the line! But then, it hit her. He'd just shushed her! As loud as he was on a regular basis (especially when people were trying to sleep), _she_ should've been shushing _him_! This was more than a red flag. It was an omen.

Gill could see the worry growing right in Maya's eyes. "I told you guys. I'm not gonna die, okay? I probably just caught a cold, or something."

The pang of guilt Maya felt made her desperately wish she was asleep. Here she was again, nagging him when he needed to be resting. "Alright. Sorry for waking you up." She began to crawl back to her side on the floor.

"Maya," Gill said, placing a hand on her shoulder before she could leave. "You wanna," he looked away from her soft-blue eyes, a small grin curling on his cheeks, "you know, sleep over here?" He asked, lightly patting the dirt beside him. She fought back a wide smile and nodded, crawling over to him. She lay a few inches from him to give him his space. But he gently pulled her close, spooning her. "G'night, Maya." He whispered into her ear.

"Goodnight, Gill." It only took a few seconds for Gill to doze off. His snoring acted as a familiar lullaby to Maya, reassuring her and helping her attempt to sleep peacefully.

And keeping Aiden wide awake.

Aiden was a light sleeper, or so he'd just figured out. Maybe he was too used to having his own space and a door for as long as he lived, or maybe he was still fretting about the Witherstorm. But none of that mattered when each and every creak, crack and crumble he heard (and he heard all of them) was keeping him awake. Maya was to blame for waking him up this time, clambering across the floor to wake Gill up for no reason. And just when Aiden was starting to drift back to sleep, she and Gill decided to burrow into their lovely nest for two, being as noisy as they possible could. True, their shuffling and whispering were relatively quiet, but Aiden was still a light sleeper, if light was a strong enough word.

And, no, Gill's snoring didn't make things better.

He shuffled to the other end of the room, trying to distance himself from the two. But the further away he moved, the louder Gill seemed to get. Delirious with fatigue but alive with rage, he tried to think happy thoughts about building and joking around with his friends, and even some of the books he'd tried (and failed) to write. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't care to think about bullying Jesse. That loser was the least of his concerns right now. Right now, he needed silence, sanity and sleep. Jesse wasn't that silent, kind of drove Aiden insane, and how was Jesse going to help Aiden sleep? Sing a lullaby? Or plug his ears for him?

He imagined he was going to have a word or two for Gill when they all woke up.

When he opened his eyes again, warm sunlight streamed through the door, and he heard zombies and skeletons burning outside. Aiden sat up with a yawn and stretched. He glanced at Gill, who looked no better than before. But his eyes widened with surprise when he saw Maya sleeping snugly against his chest. He looked away with an annoyed frown.

If Lukas were there, he would've went right back to sleep. But Lukas wasn't there, and today they were going to search for him. At least he had something to look forward to besides seeing those two drooling over each other. He stood up and stretched again, then he headed outside, antsy to begin the day.

Maya woke up at the sound of the door slamming shut. Though it was just morning, Maya felt like it had been a long day already. Knowing from the start that she wasn't going to get a good night's sleep, the tiredness she felt wasn't surprising. She shifted in Gill's arms to see if Aiden was still sleeping. When she didn't see him, she lay back down and tried to ignore the urge to check on him, sure he'd be able to handle himself, especially since there were no mobs to worry about.

Aiden shielded his unadjusted eyes from the bright sunlight as he looked across the tiny field. His growling stomach reminded him that he and his friends hadn't eaten since lunchtime yesterday. He started by looking around for something small and easy to kill, like a duck. But there was nothing, not even a lone cow grazing around. Where did all the animals go? He walked back to the pond. He would've turned his nose up at the thought of eating fish, but if fish was the only thing on the menu, so be it.

A fish as long as his forearm and hand swam through the lake, accompanied by a few littler ones that glinted in the sunlight. He tracked the larger fish's movements like a cat preparing to pounce. The task of catching such a large fish with just one hand seemed daunting, but that was the only way to get a meal. He slowly dipped his hand into the water, careful not to scare the fish, and waited. The curious minnows swam close by, but the larger fish minded its own business. Aiden forced himself to stay still while the annoying minnows tickled his hand. A few minutes later, the big fish decided to join the minnows. Aiden grinned with satisfaction as it "sniffed" his hand. Suddenly the fish chomped down on Aiden's fingers as if they were carrots. He screamed in pain and surprise and ripped his hand out of the water. The fish soared over and behind his head. Just as he began to wonder where it landed, he heard a loud smack and a muffled cry. He spun around and saw Gill tending to a knocked-over Maya who lay with her hands on her face next to a flopping fish. Gill slowly looked up and met eyes with Aiden, and the two boys burst into laughter.

"Are you okay?" Aiden asked as he made his way up to them. Maya slowly removed her hands, grimacing at the strands of slime that hung on. She didn't feel like laughing, but she wasn't hurt either. Gill helped her to her feet while she fought the stubborn slime that coated her face. "Well, you caught breakfast." Aiden laughed with Gill. Already sickened by the slime on her hands, she sent the fish a disgusted look.

"We're eating _that_? Um, no thanks."

"Well, it's that or nothing." He said. He walked over to the fish and bent to pick it up, but it jerked and slapped him in right in the face with its tail! Aiden straightened and sent the fish a fiery glare. Now it was Maya's turn to laugh. "Gill, would you pick this stupid fish up?" He asked, annoyed by Maya's giggling.

Gill started to bend over, but straightened as soon as he could when he felt himself get dizzy. He emitted a tired sigh and began to kneel instead. He scooped the fish into his arms, wrapping his arms around its tail. The fish's cool, wet body cooled his feverish body. Within minutes, the oxygen-deprived fish fell limp in his arms. Aiden gleaned some sticks and rocks off the ground, putting them into a pile to start a fire. He handed the flint-and-steel to Maya and she lit the pile. Then Aiden took the fish from Gill, stabbed it through its mouth to its tail and perched it over the fire. Gill scooted over to Aiden and Maya, joining them in sitting around the fire and waiting for the fish to cook. He rested his head in his hands, feeling exhausted.

"Okay. So, where should we start looking for Lukas?" Aiden asked. Gill dragged out a sigh at the daunting task of moving anywhere. When he removed his hands from his face, Maya and Aiden got their first good look at the purple bags under his eyes which were darker in color than before. Gill focused on the fish, trying to ignore their stares.

"Oh, my goodness! Gill, you look terrible!" Aiden blurted. Gill sent him a bleary-eyed glare. "What? You do! You look way worse than yesterday!"

"I'm tired. I didn't get any sleep last night." He sighed again, grabbing the stick and turning it to cook the fish evenly. He turned away and coughed into his arm, sounding more like an old, sick cat than himself. "What did you say before?" He asked hoarsely.

"I was wondering where we should start looking for Lukas." Aiden said. Gill turned away to think for a moment.

"If they all came out of the portal less than a day ago, shouldn't they be around somewhere? I don't think they went anywhere in such little time." Maya said thoughtfully.

"She's right," Gill said with a nod, "so we should probably check around here somewhere." He said.

Aiden glanced at the fish, gently taking the handle from Gill to turn it some more. "I think it's done." He said, taking it off. He slid the hot fish onto the ground, getting a rude stare from Maya who thought the dirt was making the fish seem worse. But as far as he and Gill were concerned, the fish was going to be fine and so were they. "Here, divvy it up." Aiden said, handing the stick to Gill. Gill took the stick and did his best to eyeball three even pieces with a headache and slightly blurred eyesight. Maya eyed the fish nervously as Gill used the stick as a crude knife to slice the fish into a tail, the body, and the head. The thought of eating the fish's head, (eyes, brain and all) made Maya feel suddenly ill.

"I don't want the head." She said, putting a hand to her mouth. Gill stopped cutting and glanced at her.

"Well, _I_ don't want it." Aiden said. They both looked expectantly at Gill, who once again tried to ignore their eyes. He was _not_ going to eat a fish's head.

"Or the tail." She added.

"Are we even supposed to eat the tail?" Aiden asked, lifting the scaly tail with his fingers. Gill went back to cutting the fish, making the edges closer to the head and tail. After that, he divided the body itself into three pieces. Right when he was finished, Aiden grabbed what Gill thought to be the biggest piece, the piece he was going to give to Maya. He knew she didn't like fish, but she needed to eat something to sustain herself. Aiden was acting selfishly. But just as Gill prepared to confront him on it, the unexpected happened.

Aiden gently handed the fish to Maya. "Here. I know, it's the biggest one there and you don't like fish, but you've gotta eat _something_." He said, placing it in front of her. Then he reached out and grabbed the _second_ biggest piece, the piece Gill was going to get for himself. Gill picked up the smallest piece, fighting the urge to send Aiden a look as nasty as the fish's taste. It tasted worse than any fish he'd ever eaten, probably because the fish they had before the Witherstorm was sanitized and actually cooked. He looked up to see Aiden and Maya grimacing at their pieces of fish. Aiden forced himself to swallow before speaking. "Are you sure this was cooked?" He asked. His question made Gill spit the fish out with anger and disgust.

"What do you _mean_ 'are we sure this was cooked'?! You were the one who—Maya, spit that out!" He yelled. Without hesitation, Maya spat the fish out, wiping her mouth and gagging softly. Gill glared at Aiden, "You were the one who said this was done!"

"No, I said, 'I _think_ it's done'." Gill growled at Aiden and tossed his fish back into the fire.

"I wasn't hungry anyways." He grumbled. Maya tossed her fish in as well. Feeling like his work that morning, and the blood on his fingers, was in vain, Aiden reluctantly tossed his fish. That was the last time he'd go fishing for any reason.

* * *

 **So, there ye have it! In the next chapter, hopefully the guys get to finding Lukas. So, how about that word-count? Over 2K, I hope everyone had time to read. I try to stay at 2K, if you haven't noticed, but today we had a generous helping. How about that shipping? Once again, thanks to BlackPanther for getting things set up in the previous chapter. Well, see you next time in MCOM! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


End file.
